The Good Girl
by MarilynnRae
Summary: AU. Danni is the 17 year old daughter of Alicia Florrick and Will Gardner. While her family is being pulled apart because of her step-father's scandal, Danni does everything she can to keep her mom and siblings okay. With her mother's looks and her father's attitude, Danni Gardner knows how to give the world (especially her parents) a run for their money while playing Parent Trap.
1. Chapter 1

Alicia sat on her bed with her head in her hands. She was tired. Tired of holding the strings of her life together as they cut into her hands, heart, and soul. Her family was what was important. She had to make sure they were what was together. Even worse, her seventeen year old daughter was the one sacrificing.

Grace was too young to see the situation as a grown up and though Zach was old enough to see it, he was too wrapped up in the situation himself to cognitively decipher where to put his emotions. He hated his father for hurting his mother, but he was still loyal.

It was Danni that was doing some sort of magical juggling act to keep everyone at bay. To keep Grace from bombarding Mom with questions, to keep Zach from going into some dark hole and never coming out, to keep Jackie from driving them all bat shit crazy and to be sure that Alicia was actually okay. After all, Peter was just her step father. She couldn't wrap her mind around why her strong, beautiful mother would stand there and let this sorry son of a bitch make her a laughing stock on national TV. Danni was the one she who had an out and stayed because she knew that was what family did.

As Danni walked in, she gave her mother a look that Alicia chose not to analyze. "Dad's not doing you any favors at the firm, you know. He respects you. That's why you got the job, not because of me, not because of anterior motives." Then she shrugged a bit. "Plus, he says that you have talent and that's not something many people have in your field."

Alicia took a deep breath and looked at her dark haired daughter. The rain had made that brown mop curl wildly and yet framed her face. She had most of her mother's characteristics but you could definitely see her father in that strong attitude, which was probably the reason she could pull off the messy hair look with a lopsided grin. Still, one thing that Danni really brought to the table that Alicia was eternally grateful for was her fierce protectiveness. Danni would fight for her siblings (and never called them half siblings) even if that meant fighting her step-grandmother (who did not hide the fact she did not Danni or her bastard child status).

Danni sat down next to her mother and rested her head on her shoulder. "Dad said you're doing well, and he wouldn't lie to me. I can tell when he lies."

"Good thing you're not a judge," Alicia quipped, but noticed her daughter was still dressed in her day clothes and hadn't pulled out a pair of comfortable pants or anything like she usually did when she got him. "You going to his place tonight?" Alicia asked opening her arms to her. "And is Grace still fighting with Jackie?"

"Oh yeah. And just so you know, if Jackie suggests Grace needs to watch her weight one more time, I'll start sneaking laxatives in her coffee so she can't talk to Grace when she's here. She'd be in the bathroom."

Alicia couldn't help but let out a small laugh, but Danni shifted a bit. "And no... I'm not going to Dad's... I invited him for dinner..."

Alicia pulled away and stared at her oldest daughter. "Danni-"

The girl stood and held up her hands in some sort of defense. "I invited him. He's my dad and you always said that Peter wouldn't like it if he came over for dinner. Well, he's not here. Instead his hooker is writing a memoir about their experience while Peter is working on his appeal." The girl stopped and looked at her mother. "I want my _dad_ and you guys talk all the time now so don't act like it would be awkward."

Letting out a breath, Alicia rubbed her eyes. "Danni, it's not that I don't want us to have a nice dinner together, but I would like some sort of warning."

Danni stood up. "Well this is your warning. He couldn't come tonight because he had a client meeting, but I would like all of us to have a real dinner since I've _never_ had my parents at the same dinner table as long as I can remember. That's what I ask, and I don't think that's too much. Zach and Grace will probably even go for it."

It really wasn't too much to ask. For a long time Danni asked almost weekly if Will could come over and have dinner, but Peter made it fairly obvious that he would be a step father to her but he did not want anything to do with Alicia's ex. Even when Will invited her over for dinner, because Danni had asked for dinner, just the three of them, Peter made it obvious once again that he didn't want Alicia to have much to do with Will either.

For the last fifteen years, it was Danni that suffered and though she didn't want to seem like she was benefitting from everyone else's pain, she had waited nine months to finally ask the question that had been on her mind for ages.

"I'll think about it, okay? Things are still-"

"Complicated," Danni finished with an understanding, yet disappointed, nod. "It's okay, Mom. Maybe we can all have pizza in Dad's office sometime."

As Danni walked out the door, Alicia felt terrible but it was just one more thing for her to put on her shoulders at the moment that she could barely carry. Still, she followed her daughter's steps to the door and watched her.

Grace was sitting on the sofa reading and Danni could see Zack on the computer in his room. There was always a weird need she felt to protect her younger siblings, Grace especially. Though they weren't really that far apart in age, Danni took her older sister role very seriously.

She looked at Zach. There was a time where they hated each other. He was a disgusting boy and until the last year or two they commonly see eye to eye. More recently however they started to see things much similarly. He somehow turned into a young man, and she was especially proud of how he was dealing with the situation with his father.

"Hey, Danni, can you help me?" Grace said suddenly pulling Danni out of her thought. Grace had suddenly appeared at the island in the kitchen as Danni opened the refrigerator to see what the options for dinner were. Their Mom probably didn't feel like cooking.

"What's up?" Danni asked turning around.

She placed the book. "MacBeth. You're better at this stuff than I am."

Danni fake glared at her sister. "You're good at it, you just want help because you're getting bored."

Alicia stood in her doorway and watched as Danni and Grace worked on her homework. There was no sign of the argument still on Danni's features. Taking a deep breath, she shook her head. Sometimes that girl was a bit too much like her mother. One day, that would break her.

Taking in a deep breath, she walked toward the kitchen. "Okay. How does waffles sound for dinner?"

The Good Wife

Will was sitting in his office, nose deep in a file, when he heard the dramatic sigh he recognized so well. There was something he found hilarious about the way his daughter announce her presence to him. It reminded him a little bit of a younger Alicia when she would come into his apartment at Georgetown. The dramatic sigh and leaning against the door like she had just been through something extremely exhausting.

"I'm ready," he said closing the file and opened the bag. She was in the private school uniform that had the school logo embroidered on the vest as she leaned against the door. She had long legs like her mother, but she was build tinier. She was a bit on the petite side. He just hated dealing with the boys, and he had a feeling she knew that a bit too well. "Let me hear it. What do you want, how much is it going to cost me, and is your mother going to kill me for it?"

Danni glanced behind her through the glass door as she moved deeper into his office. "So, if I killed someone, you can get me off right?"

Will let out a laugh before leaning toward his daughter with his elbows on his desk. "Depends on who and if you had enough reason."

"Well of course I'd have a reason, Dad. I'm not crazy," Danni said with a roll of her eyes only making Will laugh again. She tossed herself down on the couch and then looked at the couch as though it was guilty of something. "Think I could hire a hit man and have Peter killed in prison? I mean, I'd have to become an escort or something to pay for a good hit man, but I'm not against the idea at the moment."

Will sat back in his chair and thought about his daughter's words. "I think it bothers me a little that you'd become a sex for hire before you just asked me for the money."

"Well, if I asked you for the money you may try to take the credit for it too. I want the credit" she said with a small nod like she was really making the decision now. "'Danielle Gardner, charged with first degree murder of her step father after his dramatic sex scandal.'" She shivered and grinned. "Oh how I would love to be the journalist on that case."

"Instead you would be the person standing trial. At the moment we're looking for a deal to get death off the table. It sounds like you're planning a capital murder," Will said starting to feel it a little more serious in the conversation. "What's going on, kid?"

She sat up and rested her elbows on her knees. "If I killed the sorry bastard he wouldn't be able to keep hurting Mom."

Standing up, Will walked over to his daughter. She looked tired and the fact was he hated Peter as much as she did for what was happening to Alicia. More than that, he hated to see Danni pulling herself apart trying to make her mom feel better. It wasn't something that he could keep her from doing, it was just the way Danni was. It was the reason she would wake up extra early to make sure he got breakfast when she was staying with him and made him meals that he could freeze and reheat later. She was just a caretaker.

"You're mom's a big girl," he reminded his daughter. "She would hate to see you like this."

Danni sighed and fell into his shoulder. "It's good to see you, Dad," she muttered.

Will accepted her in his arms and kissed her dark curls as she rested against him. Tears were burning behind her eyes but she was too strong to cry. Another thing she got from her mother. She was a firm believer in the never let them see you cry thing.

"Will, I have-"

Alicia stopped. She and Will did a lot of tag team parenting with Danni, but she had never witnessed Will comforting Danni like that. Really, it wasn't common for Alicia to witness her oldest daughter being comforted. She was the comforter. She picked the pieces up and put them back together for everyone else. There were times that Alicia would wake up and find Danni in bed next to her and Alicia honestly wasn't sure if that was for Danni's benefit or her own.

Then she wanted to kick herself. There were just too many pieces to pick up in her home right then. Will was usually a pretty good rock anyway. He did a damn good job at Georgetown supporting her through mind numbing finals and he didn't run away when she found out she was pregnant.

Danni had immediately pulled away from her father at the sound of her mother voice and took a second to collect herself. Her back was to her mother for several seconds as Will studied her. It was amazing just how much she was like Alicia.

"Hey Mom," Danni said sounding like her usual self, not like the girl that was so close to tears seconds ago. "I was just making sure Dad would get me off for murder if I decided to kill someone anytime soon."

Alicia narrowed her eyes as a smile tugged at her lips. "Hmm. Remember that the words 'premeditation' gets thrown around in the courtroom."

"Exactly why I have you two. Aren't privileged kids suppose to do something that their parents spend _thousands _getting them off?" Danni asked picking her backpack up and moving behind her Dad's desk and kicking her feet up. Alicia one made the comment that it wasn't very lady like since she was wearing a skirt, but Danni had proudly raised the skirt to show the matching shorts she wore underneath. "There's one in every family and if I do it, maybe Zach and Grace won't. They could learn from my mistake-"

The chair decided to nearly tumble backward and she had to throw herself forward onto her Dad's desk to keep from making a mess of her dad's office.

Alicia laughed. "Smooth. And no. I really don't have time in my schedule to deal with a problem child."

"You could if it was billable hours," Danni sang, knowing the life of the lawyer way too well. She pulled out a large textbook and slapped it on his desk. "By the way, I'm helping Kalinda later and if I keep helping out with your investigator, I want a paycheck."

Alicia and Will both rolled their eyes as they left their daughter, and her attitude (which was a little too much like her father's), in his office. Alicia handed Will the file in her hands. "We're due in court in an hour and don't forget Danni's parent teacher conference is tonight too."

Will groaned. "I hate those things. It's the same thing every time. She's smart. She makes the grade, but she doesn't seem to put in all the effort. She has an attitude about her, but she's polite to the teacher."

"I still like her English teacher that said she had a true talent for writing but a 'sadistic sense of humor'," Alicia laughed just remember the slight discomfort on the woman's face.

"She got that from you," Will said also laughing.

They fell into a silence that had always been comfortable for them. They didn't have to speak. There was always this comfort and chemistry between them that drew them to each other when they were young. It made them fall in love, it made Danni and that was something both of them would never regret.

It took a lot of fighting to get Danni to stay in the private school when Grace and Zach switched to public school because Alicia couldn't afford it. She even turned down money from Will to pay for their tuition. The only reason they fought Danni on it so hard was because she was already a junior, in the top five percent of her class, and she needed to graduate from the school she started. It was important to both of them.

"So," Alicia said as they entered the elevator. "You should come to my place for dinner tonight."

_**So, I'm not really sure if I'll continue this. If you like it, I will, but I just wrote it on a sort of whim. Anyway, please review. **_


	2. Chapter 2

Will loved his daughter. Though he never expected himself to be one that would ever want kids, Danni was his princess. From the time that she was old enough to walk, to the first boy she brought home, Will found himself holding his breath the entire way.

The moment that Alicia told him she was pregnant, Will had this feeling of dread in his gut. Originally it was at the idea of being a father, but that feeling started to change. He could remember holding Alicia for hours, her body spooned against him and his hands around her resting on her stomach. For hours he would just feel their baby move.

He had a proposal rehearsed in his mind over and over again, but he never got to say the words. Danni was the product of love, not a one night stand. It was just love that no one was willing to admit or act upon. Will couldn't find the words to admit his feelings, much less ask her to marry him. It was his cowardliness that made him lose her, but he still had a piece of her in Danni.

As his daughter held one of her formals up to the mirror to examine it against another, she continued her conversation. "These charity things are so annoying. I get introduced as the darling daughter and then I get hit on by a bunch of twenty year old rich boys who think that they can get into my pants."

"You're going," he reminded her.

Danni rolled her eyes and tried her Hail-Mary. "Peter almost never made Grace and Zach go to charity balls. They're meant for adults."

Will shook his head. "Nice try, but if you want to be treated as an adult, you will go to these balls and play nice."

Those big brown eyes widened as she dropped her lip to a pout. "Diane always introduces me to those stupid boys and I always end up having to dance with one of them."

"Then you don't have to dance with anyone all night. Well, I get one dance," Will said with a smile as Danni draped the formals over the back of the arm chair and joined her father on his stylish couch.

"I always save one dance for you," Danni said smiling to herself despite everything. "How about we compromise? I go with you, give you one dance, and then I go home. We're all happy."

Will seemed to think about that. "You might as well eat while you're there and then you can leave. Deal?"

Danni shook his hand and then leaned against him. She loved her dad more than she could ever even get herself to like her stepdad. That's why she was very ready for the dinner at her mom's tonight that had been rescheduled a handful of times. Tonight was the night. Tonight was the night that she got to have dinner in _one_ of her homes with _both_ of her parents. Something she was stupidly excited about.

Leaning back, she looked at what her father was wearing. "You're not wearing that, are you?"

Will looked at what he was wearing. It was just one of his suits. "What's wrong with this?"

"We're going to dinner at _home_. Not a client meeting. I'll go find you something."

Before he could argue, Danni was off in the direction of his bedroom. Will sighed and picked up the two formals to return to her closet. When he returned, she was holding a pair of jeans and a shirt that was definitely bought by his daughter. It was stylish and sporty and she offered him a jacket with it, also bought by her.

He stared at her. "I'm not wearing that. This is dinner."

"Right. Dinner. Not a date, not a club. This is dinner with my mom and siblings. This is just the more stylish version of what you wear when we eat dinner together. Trust me."

As they arrived at the apartment door, Danni found herself awkwardly trying to decide whether or not to knock. Normally, when she just walked in when Will took her home and he just stood at the door to exchange pleasantries, but that was years ago before she could drive. Will had never been in more than the foyer of their home and this was weird territory for her.

Will noticed his daughter was staring at the door with a very nerve wracked look on her face, but it was relieved when Grace opened the door and gave sister a confused look. "Why are you just standing out here?"

Danni made a goofy face to lighten the idea of her internal dilemma before stepping into the apartment and grabbing her dad's hand. "Where's Mom?" she asked, oddly clinging to her dad's hand.

"In here!" Alicia called from the kitchen. As they rounded the corner, Alicia tried to calm her nerves. She was making Danni's favorites simply because the dinner was more for her more than anything else. Will had his arm around Danni's shoulders and she was leaning into him in that way daughter's did to their fathers they adored.

Danni dramatically motioned toward Alicia standing in jeans and her cardigan. "See? Mom's not dressed up."

Alicia laughed. "Gee thanks. What's that suppose to mean?"

"It means that I had to dress him because he wanted to wear a suit."

The faintest blush appeared on Will's cheeks and Alicia felt her heart flutter. Of course the only person who could ever make Will Gardner blush would be his seventeen year old daughter. There was something very unique about their relationship. In a way, it made her a little jealous. Danni was a girl who had many layers, but Will never really had to fight with them.

"I guess family dinners aren't my cup of tea," Will replied scratching his head and watching as Alicia pulled the lasagna from the oven. "I see you've upgraded from burnt pizza."

She picked up a bottle of wine and raised her eyebrows. "I've also upgraded from cheap beer."

Danni would normally ask for a glass if it was just her and her dad, but she knew her mom wouldn't approve. Sometimes Alicia would allow Danni to drink out of her glass, but she never got a glass of her own. Besides, she liked some of the little things that was just kept between her and her dad.

Zach walked out of his room and shot a glare at Danni. She caught it immediately and rolled her eyes as she moved away from her father and over the homemade croutons Alicia had made. "Hello, Zach. It's lovely to see you, Zach."

But Zach didn't feel like playing the sibling banter card. Instead he went straight for the kill. "If Dad didn't want him over for dinner, he shouldn't be over here just because Dad's not here."

Will went frigid as Alicia let out a breath. But before she could say anything, Danni spoke in a surprisingly calm manner. "Zach, you've had your _mom_ and your _dad_ together at most of the dinners in your life. I've eaten with both my parents at school events and piano recitals. Finger foods and cookies don't count. So yeah, while your dad is in prison, I'm going to reap the benefit of getting the one thing he would never let me have. Dinner with my parents. If you really want to complain, I don't care if you attend."

The other four people in the house were more shocked in silence and they honestly didn't know if it was her words or the way she said them. Just matter-of-factly and dry.

Will cleared his throat, finding his words before everyone else. "Danni, this is Zach's home-"

"But it's mine too. However, for the moment it is not Peter's," Danni said turning to her father with a fairly bored expression. "Right now, I am using the fact that my mother's husband is currently lower on the totem pole than I am. Which is where he should be after sleeping with a prostitute."

Alicia inwardly groaned. Somehow, her seventeen year old daughter sounded a little too much like a lawyer. Still, she needed to put a stop to the argument before this dinner turned into the family feud. "Okay. Enough! Zach, I don't think that Danni is out of bounds asking for this. However I would very much appreciate everyone behaving civilly. Anymore arguments will result in revoked privileges. Is that hard to understand?"

Four mumbled "no's" were heard clearly and Alicia met Will's boyish smirk. He enjoyed toying with her and she enjoyed it more than she wanted to admit and definitely more than she would ever want her kids to know. They enjoyed each other's company, and it was dangerous now that they experienced each other's company during most of the work day. It was undeniable to either of them that their chemistry was growing.

As they sat down for dinner, Alicia couldn't help but notice Danni seemed to be glowing. It really did hurt her to know that something Danni wanted so bad was so easily obtainable, something that made her this happy. It was Alicia's own fault for listening to Peter. She always said her kids came first and apparently she skipped a step somewhere with that.

"Want some more, Dad?" Danni asked, taking another piece of lasagna for herself.

Will shook his head as he reached for his glass of wine. "I'm okay, kiddo."

Grace looked between them. "It's kind of weird to see Danni call someone Dad."

"Grace," Alicia warned.

"I'm just saying! I mean, I've met you," Grace continued, directing her words to Will. She was polite, but like most thirteen year old she lacked tact, "but it's not like you're real. It's like Danni had sleepovers three nights a week, not another home."

Both parents looked at Danni who seemed to be finding her food extra interesting, but there was not a whole lot to be said on the topic. Lawyers knew when not to talk and though that side of their brain didn't always kick in when talking to their kids, it did kick in when talking about their kids. That was much too sensitive of a subject for a first dinner.

"Well," Danni said as she let out a breath, "what can I say? I lead a double life." She waggled her eyebrows, extending the joke as she tried to get over her own emotions.

As dinner wrapped up, Will offered to help Alicia in the kitchen as Danni and Grace sat on the couch watching some movie while Zach had disappeared into his room again. Alicia had noticed the way Will watched Danni interact with her siblings. It was like his eyes were glued to her the entire time.

"You really are a good dad," Alicia said as she took the dish Will had been drying for a little too long.

He raised a brow at her. "You say that like you're surprised."

Alicia thought about her answer before replying. "I'm pleased, a little jealous, and extremely grateful." She nudged him with her shoulder as she past him another plate. "I have to say, she's dangerously bright."

Will grinned. "She got that from me."

"She also got that dangerous lawyer tone," Alicia told him. "I had to learned it, you always said it just came naturally to you and now I know. You were born with it and so was your daughter." She took a deep breath and looked at Will. "I think Peter's going to be coming home."

The words had been difficult for her to cope with. With the appeal on the fast track and everything moving in that direction, Alicia had been dreading the moment of telling the kids. Okay, that wasn't completely true. She was dreading the moment of when she would have to tell Danni. Part of her was preparing to lose her. Part of her assumed that Danni would get the hell out of dodge and move in permanently with Will.

Will saw where that was going. "You know how she is. It would be better to tell her now than wait. She'll be mad, but she cools off. That was something she didn't get from me."

It had been a good night. They had laughed together, spent time together, and in the end Danni's five year old fantasy of having a happy family that included both her parents was coming back into her mind. She had a real take of a family for a few moments, of her real family.

Peter had made her feel like an outsider, even as a child, and that was the worst feeling. She had spent most of her life trying very hard to not be an outsider in every other part of her life to make up for that one person. Then the scandal came along. While her mom was paraded around and her siblings were pitied, she was once again that kid in the background that was left out in the cold. They ran story of the bastard child from law school, blaming her for the unhappy marriage, but in the end, all Danni felt like was an outsider.

But not tonight. Tonight, Danni felt very much a part of a family and she would let her slightly spoiled brother let himself be an outsider for the time being. Not because she wanted him to feel her pain, but because she knew that when he was willing to put his stubbornness aside, he would be a part of it too.

So her five year old fantasy came back to life, but her seventeen year old young adult mind had added a few new flairs.

She chuckled to herself as she sat on the couch listening more to her parents conversation than the movie. When did she become such a romantic?

_**So I decided to continue it a bit farther. I would love some reviews! **_


	3. Chapter 3

Danni watched as Zach went to Peter. Her arm was tight around her little sister's shoulders, almost sensing the conflict building in the girl. There was no doubt where Danni stood, just like there was no doubt where Zach stood. Poor Grace was on middle ground, ground that was cracking beneath her feet. No matter what, Danni would keep her from falling.

Peter looked at them and offered a smile. "Hey Gracie."

That stony expression started to crack and tears were running down her cheeks before she could make it into her father's arms. He laughed heartily hugged his children tightly, leaving Danni alone once again.

The brief flicker of emotion was caught by Alicia. Danni looked down, but before she could make an excuse to escape Alicia moved toward her and put her arms around her shoulders. It was a small motion, but it did wonders. At least Danni wasn't invisible to her mother.

"Danni waited to welcome you home before she left," Alicia announced. Though Peter had chosen to ignore the girl the first time, Alicia was going to make a point that Danni was trying and Peter definitely needed to try too. He was the adult in the situation and her step-father.

Like the smart man he was, he took the hint. "That was very kind of you, Danni. You been keeping your mom in line."

"She's not the one that stepped out of it," Danni replied without missing a beat.

Kudos to Peter to not responding, but Alicia decided to quickly excuse herself and Danni to her bedroom. As soon as the door closed behind her, Alicia looked at her daughter. Her arms were crossed over her chest, but her face did not show the same rebellion it did moments ago. Instead, she bit her lower lip and prepared herself for the lecture.

Alicia shook her head and looked up at the ceiling. "Danielle Alexis," she sighed stepping toward her daughter and framing her face with her hands. "Why don't you talk to me?"

It took a minute for Danni to respond, but that only made Alicia feel worse. How long had it been since Danni came to her? How long had it been since Danni stopped playing the protector? While Alicia was clinging to all the strings of her life and pulling them together, Dannie was silently right beside her, working just as hard and losing just as much.

"You can't hold me together too," Danni said as though it was the most obvious answer. "You have Grace and Zach leaning on you, Peter now too, and you're working hard to keep food on the table and act like we're not struggling for money. You can't hold me together too and I'm not going to watch him tear you apart."

"He's my husband," Alicia reminded her daughter.

"Husband or not, he hurt you and Grace and Zach," Danni replied. She shook her head and moved toward the door. "I just want to go to Dad's."

Alicia quickly moved in front of the door, stopping her daughter from escaping. Danni missed someone that Peter hurt. Peter hurt her. Though Danni and Peter never had a warm relationship, they had a respect. Before Peter made Alicia happy and that was all Danni needed. If her mom was happy, then things would be okay.

It was Alicia's job as a mother to see the cracks. The fact that Danni stood next to her mother and took every wrecking ball of slander with her chin up, protected her siblings and mother from as much as possible, of course she would have a few cracks. The girl, who was falling through the cracks, was getting a few chips on her shoulders from all her harsh landings. It was bound to happen.

Will was the one person who wasn't letting her fall he was catching her. Just like that, Alicia felt sick to her stomach. Shit. She missed it somewhere. Danni was so busy acting like a grownup, Alicia temporarily forgot she wasn't.

"Danni, I'm sorry," she said to her daughter, cupping her cheek again, but Danni shook her off. "You know I don't want you to go."

"And I don't want him to come back," Danni replied. She ran a hand through her hair before grasping her shoulders with the opposite hands. "That dinner with Dad… it's not going to happen again is it?"

Alicia bit the inside of her cheek. "If I promise that you, me, and your dad try to go out to dinner once a week, will that make you feel better?"

The surprise in Danni's eyes hurt her a bit but the girl nodded.

"I'll talk to your dad about it tomorrow." Alicia tried again with touching her daughter. She took a step toward her and when Danni didn't make up the space, Alicia wrapped her into a strong hug. "I _love_ you so much and I understand if you need your space from Peter, but please don't run away from me or your siblings."

Danni leaned into her mother and sighed. "I would never run away."

The Good Wife

Will used to like having a bunch of women on his arm. He would arrange it to where no one ever met Danni and Danni never was exposed to his love life. The older she got, the more difficult it became. She was perceptive and vocal. The women didn't exactly go away, but the conversation eventually happened that grownup have all kinds of different relationships.

Yet once again, Danni's perception had him in a very uncomfortable place. He was accidentally giving his daughter hope that her fairytale had a possibility. No matter how old a person becomes, they all have fairytales and the older we are when we believe in them the more it hurts when it falls apart.

He was in love with her. Probably more in love with her than he was in college. They spent nearly every day together now and the chemistry was paining him. It was like running against the wind. Every part of him drew him to her and he hoped that it was the same with her. He hoped that she was struggling with it just as much.

This time he wasn't going to watch her walk away. For the sake of his daughter, he was approaching the elephant in the room without a weapon.

"You wanted me?" Alicia said appearing in his open doorway. She was dressed in a stylish suit with her hair curled to frame her face.

Will nodded. "Close the door."

She did so as she walked into his office. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Is there something wrong?"

He motioned for her to have a seat as he nervously ran his hands together. "How are things at home?"

The question obviously caught her off guard. It wasn't a question that she immediately jumped to an answer with, but she had to believe that Will wasn't trying to use something against her. Still, in the back of her mind she thought of all the custody battles she's been witness to where one parent used the other's difficult circumstances to win full custody. Danni was almost a legal adult, but she was still Alicia's baby.

"Things are tough, but I think we're finding a common ground," Alicia replied rubbing his hands together. "Danni's trying and I know that's for me, but she swears she's okay."

A small smile twitched at Will's lips. "Alicia, I'm not accusing you of anything." She relaxed a little, despite the fact she didn't want to admit she was concerned. "I'm not checking up on you, I'm just checking on you."

"I'm okay," Alicia promised.

Will nodded. He mentally was thankful. "Good. Danni's been less… hostile."

They both chuckled at the term. The ever spirited Danni had a way of making everyone in the building know she was pissed. Diane had approached both Will and Alicia (separately) about Danni's iciness. Normally, Diane was like a favorite aunt to Danni, so when she ignored Diane's coffee invitation to sit in Will's office and brood, she got a little concerned.

"Where is she today? I thought she said she was coming to your office," Alicia questioned, taking a seat.

"Coffee with Diane. That's how we know she's less hostile," Will replied, taking the seat beside her. He took a deep breath and looked at Alicia, really looked at her. "I know you said we should start getting dinner once-"

There was a knock on the door and his assistant poked her head in. "Diane just called; she couldn't reach you on your cell."

"Did she say what it's about?" Will asked.

His assistant seemed to try and hide her amusement. "Kalinda needed to borrow Danni for something and she'd thought she'd warn you. She suggested you call her."

Alicia and Will both groaned. They both liked Kalinda, but neither of them liked the idea of Danni taking lessons from her. Too bad Danni had taken a liking to the woman from the get go, and Kalinda liked her spunk. The only thing Will could ask was Kalinda kept Danni out of harm's way and inside the law. Though, he doubted either of them always obeyed.

Alicia's cell phone started ringing, and Will quickly realized that his chance to talk to Alicia was running out.

"Leesh," he said suddenly as his assistant closed the door and just as Alicia reached for her phone. She looked at him, surprised by his slightly urgent, yet gentle voice. He didn't know how to say it, but he didn't want to make the same mistake twice. He couldn't let her get away again.

"Yeah?" she replied seeming completely confused.

He stepped closer to her, glad that it was getting late and most people were already out of the office. "I-I don't want to ruin this, but this is important."

Sensing that whatever Will was going to say was going to be in their uncharted territory of things they didn't talk about, Alicia bristled yet she felt herself step closer to him. It was that damn magnetic energy between them. It was like she couldn't stay away from him nowadays. It was so hard for her to fight with herself between where she wanted to stand to where she should stand.

"Not now, Will," she halfway pleaded, keeping herself from placing her hand on his chest where it was itching to go. Her eyes lifted to meet his. "But yes. I feel it too."

Just like that, she was out the door, needing the escape before someone slipped up. It wasn't what Will expected, but he couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit of hope flicker. All he knew, he had to keep Danni from seeing it. It was one thing for him to have his heart broken, but it would be so much worse to see his daughter lose hope too.

_**Please review!**_


	4. Chapter 4

Will passed the basketball to her daughter and grinned as she passed it back just as hard. "Age before beauty," she quipped.

It was their Saturday morning ritual: breakfast and a little one-on-one at the basketball courts. The squeaky tennis shoes, the smell of sweat and sports equipment. It was oddly endearing. Danni loved every second of Saturday basketball with her dad. It was their time to just let loose and have fun. There was no clients, no judges, no one walking in and interrupting them every five minutes. Even if they did get interrupted, they enjoyed their time while they had it.

What Danni didn't know was Will enjoyed their Saturday mornings more than she probably did. Any one-on-one time with his daughter was treasured. That's why he was so protective of the dances his daughter saved for him at galas and he didn't mind sitting in traffic in the middle of rush hour talking about anything in the world. It was the reason why he bought them ballet tickets and took her to Cubs games or the Bulls (anything but football, the one sport Danni hated).

She grinned at him wearing his Georgetown t-shirt while she proudly sported the Bulls. They both were laced up and ready to play.

Though she was barely five foot five, she was a hell of a player. She had talent, dedication, and agility that left Will feeling every bit his age. She probably wouldn't play in college, but she was a still a hell of a player. If she wanted a cross country scholarship, she could probably get one, but Will and Alicia would both feel better if she just went to a school she really wanted to go and could focus on her studies.

Will cross the ball between his legs as he dribbled, showing off a little as Danni was up on her toes, ready to go whatever direction he chose. Her hair was tied into a long ponytail and her hands were open on either side of her and she was ready to steal the ball.

"Ready to lose?" he asked her, narrowing his eyes and reaching up to pull on her ponytail.

Before he could even take a step, she had the ball in her hands and was moving past him for an easy layup. Will looked down at his hands that had held the ball only moments before. He didn't even really realize she took it from him until she was already laying the ball in the hoop and looking at him with a devilish grin.

"You little-"

Both their heads turned to the sound of his cell phone ringing. It was the telltale sign of another tradition: the tradition of their tradition being cut short. Will looked apologetically at his daughter who was already pulling her hoodie on and over her t-shirt.

"Next time, kiddo," Will said reaching for his phone.

Danni shrugged good-naturedly. She wasn't upset. "I still won, old man."

An hour later, Danni was walking into a makeshift courtroom in her dad's Georgetown sweatshirt and her basketball pants. She felt very underdressed even with Will wearing jeans and a casual shirt, but she was enjoying herself. She liked court. She liked watching her dad in action. Some dads were superheroes to their little girls and Will was no exception. In fact, he was still pretty much her superhero.

"This is a delaying tactic, Your Honor," Will stated as they all followed the judge in.

The other man who followed alongside them scoffed at his remark. "She was contacted this morning. That's not a delaying tactic; that's a simple procedural—"

Danni could already see the impatience on the judge's face as he took off his coat. "Sit down."

Though the men both moved toward the table to unpack their things and take a seat. Will nodded for Danni to take the seat behind him and she quickly obeyed. The man who had been texting the entire time as he tried to talk to the judge looked over at her suspiciously as he took a seat across from Will.

The judge placed his coat on the back of his chair. "Okay, let's begin. Judge Robert Parks, emergency on-call justice, presiding over plaintiff request for declaratory judgment on medical procedure… R-H-L-H-S. An emergency injunction preventing nonpayment by insurance company Life State. Mr. Harper." Judge Parkers motioned for the man that had been staring at Danni for the last few seconds, pulling his attention.

"Your Honor, we're asking for a delay of eight hours. Our lead attorney was caught unaware by this emergency motion," Mr. Harper explained. There was something about him that Danni just didn't like. He seemed to be pulling some sort of spoiled rich boy attitude that never set well with Danni and was not a way to talk to a judge.

Will quickly stood up, ready to get his opinion in. "Your Honor, this surgery needs to happen now. Life State's strategy is to run down the clock. They have no defense, so they want to make your ruling irrelevant. In three days' time, my clients' baby could be dead."

"Objection!" Mr. Harper scoffed, giving Will a look of a truly smug bastard. "Your client's _fetus_."

Danni couldn't help the small sound that escaped from her throat in disbelief at the way the man said those words. Her political views aside, his tone disrespected the very fact that whether or not the man wanted to believe what was growing in the woman's stomach was a human or not, it was definitely alive and loved by someone.

Will tossed his daughter a gentle warning look, knowing that the sound was involuntary, but was thankful when the judge was just as taken back. "Thank you, Mr. Harper. I'm sure we'll all feel much better with that distinction." Obviously, he chose the wrong judge to say that in front of. "This is an emergency court. You get your attorney in here, or you start arguing for yourself. Do you understand, Mr. Harper?"

The man scowled at the judge as he reached for his phone. "I do."

Will took a moment to get his files in order before turning back to check on his daughter. "Why don't you go get us some coffee? We may be here a while, kiddo. You sure you don't just want to take my car back?"

Danni shook her head. "Definitely not. I never get to see you argue cases unless it's in summer. This is fun."

Judge Parker smiled at the girl, noticing her polite presence. "And I'm sorry, you are?"

Danni stood and smiled at the judge easily. Obviously she had met too many judges in her life. Then again, she probably never met a stranger. She was a lot like her dad in that way. "Danni Gardner, Your Honor. I apologize for my attire. My dad and I were getting ready to play basketball when he received a call."

Judge Parker smirked at her professional tone and ease in a courtroom. "It's nice to meet you, Danni."

The girl leaned over her dad's shoulders and grabbed his keys off the table. "I'll go get us coffee."

Will accepted his daughter's quick kiss on the cheek before she headed for the door. Even in his early days of law school, he never called that baby a fetus. From the moment he accepted the reality of him becoming a father, Danni was always his baby. It just became truer over time.

Alicia walked in a few minutes into his questioning the doctor carrying a bag of Danni's clothes and a concerned expression when she realized that her daughter wasn't in the room. Still, she had to quickly catch up on wherever Will was. It was a question that could wait a second.

As soon as the judge called a ten minute recess, Alicia and Will went to find their clients. "Where's my kid?" Alicia asked lightly, feeling somewhat better about the situation since they were getting a short break to breathe.

Her question was quickly answered she opened the door and was greeted with Danni's smile falling to a frown. "I didn't know you'd be here too."

Alicia rolled her eyes as Will took his coffee, looking somewhat triumphant. "That's a nice way of thanking someone who brought you a change of clothes," Alicia replied, moving back into the room.

"It's not that I'm not happy to see you. It's more that now I have to share my coffee," Danni explained, following her. Alicia turned around at the word and happily accepted her daughter's cup. She took a whiff of the coffee before putting it to her lips. As Alicia took a drink she noticed Danni studying Patti, the other attorney, and her baby.

"Is it bring your kid to work day?" Danni mumbled as she picked up the bag her mom brought.

Will raised his eye brows in agreement while Alicia tried to stay fair minded. "It is a Saturday, last minute case, it's not easy to find a sitter on such short notice."

"You don't believe that," Danni replied, noticing her mother's hesitance.

"I don't. But you have a change of clothes and-"Alicia dangled her car keys in front of her daughter's face, "an escape from the courtroom."

But Danni shook her head and opened the bag to see exactly what her mom brought her to wear. "Absolutely not. I'm sticking around. You _and_ Dad arguing a case. I want to see-" Her words were cut short as she pulled out the powder pink shirt and looked at her mom with an _Are you serious?_ expression.

"What?" Alicia groaned.

"Okay, Mom, points for trying… but this isn't my shirt," Danni explained. "This is Grace's shirt and the fact you think I'd wear this makes me a little sad." She clucked her tongue menacingly as she fold the shirt again. "You don't know me at all, Mother."

Alicia rolled her eyes and took the shirt from her daughter. "My apologies. I'm a terrible mother. I don't deserve your love. Will you ever forgive me?"

Danni examined the jeans and boots her mother also packed and then glanced down at her current oversized sweatshirt. The girl thought for a moment before pulling her hair out of the ponytail and fluffing it. Glancing at her reflection in the glass window, she shrugged.

"I'll have to pull off the eighties look, but I've seen pictures. If you can do it, I can do it," Danni said going up on her toes and kissing her Mom on the cheek like she did her father earlier.

As Danni headed for the restroom to change, Alicia's narrowed eyes followed her. "I want to say that was a compliment, but at the same time she's the product of two lawyers and that didn't quite feel like a compliment."

Will thought for a moment then nodded. "Yeah, don't take that as a compliment. She showed me the pictures too."

Alicia sucker punched her old friend in the arm and stuck her tongue out at him. "Jerk."

The Good Wife

It was safe to say she was panicking.

Her guard was down. Will's guard was down. He was angry at himself. He blamed himself for the loss of a case, a case lost in front of their daughter, which would result in a baby dying. There had been an option open the entire time, a less ideal option, but it would have at least let those parents have the surgery to save their child.

And Alicia comforted him. She liked his vulnerability, it felt more honest. Will was so good at hiding it that it made people forget he was human. But Alicia was familiar with his human side. It was the side she met at Georgetown and the side she saw when he was with Danni. Human Will was… it was like coming back to a safe place.

Then he looked at her. Those eyes bearing into her soul and for a few moments, she didn't run away from him. She let him look. After all, they had a daughter together, there was nothing of her that he hadn't seen before.

Though she knew she was too close, she didn't move when he stood up. Their bodies were already touching and the voice in her head telling her to run was silenced by the familiar feeling of his warmth. Their eyes were locked as his hand slid over her chin, gently tracing her lips with his thumb, and settled against her neck.

As he leaned toward her, her eyes fell closed. Anticipation made her breath hitch just as his lips hit hers. He was hesitant, afraid she would run away, but he had to try.

It only lasted a handful of seconds before he pulled away. His eyes searched her expression, but she gave away nothing. Her mind was too busy still feeling his hands on her. Eighteen years, and he still had a way of stealing her breath.

"The last time you kissed me like that…" she whispered, her hands sliding up his arms, "… I got my first B on a test the next day."

Will chuckled as his thumb continued brushing her jaw bone and his other hand came around her waist. Her eyes weren't on his though. They were too busy following the path of her arms going up his arms and closer to his neck. "I don't regret that night for a second. Danni will always be a miracle."

The mention of their daughter's name made her bristle. Danni. She couldn't be playing these games with Will when they had a daughter that would be caught in the crossfire. This could end badly and Danni would be the one with a shattered heart and Alicia wasn't sure if she could bear to know that was the reason behind her daughter's pain was once again her fault.

"Alicia."

Will's voice brought her attention back to him. Those warm brown eyes didn't make her want to run, but instead…

A sob choked her, sending her forward against Will's chest as a strings of tears started to roll down her cheeks. Her body felt weak as she realized how horrible of a mother she was acting. Zach and Grace needed their father, she was still married to Peter and was supposed to be fixing their situation, and Danni… Danni's fragile heart would be broken if Alicia pursued this and someone got hurt.

Will took a deep breath as his arms wrapped around her. His lips pressed against her hair as she cried into his shirt. Part of him saw this coming. It did not surprise him.

"We can't do this, Will," she mumbled as her tears slowed. "We're putting too much on the line for a whirlwind romance."

"Then let's not make it a whirlwind romance," Will suggested, gently pulling her back so he could look her in her tear stained face. "We'll go slow."

"Will-"

But Will shook his head looking at her firmly. "A secret. Yours and mine. I'm not asking you to stop trying with Peter, I'm just asking you to see where we go."

Alicia gave him a weary look, but she didn't immediately disagree. "Danni," she said simply. "She'll see it. She's smart. She knew something was up with Peter way before the scandal came to light and she'll know something is going on with us."

"Then we'll be even more careful," Will replied softly. "I think we owe it to ourselves, and to Danni, to try."

With a deep breath, Alicia let her head fall on Will's chest. "This is a horrible idea," she mumbled. Yet as much as her head screaming warning, her lips were tugging into a smile and her body already liked the feeling of Will's arms around her. It terrified her.

_**I would really like to hear your thoughts! Please review. Oh, and I do plan on adding some Kalinda-Danni stuff, but I was already writing this chapter and couldn't think of a good way to add it. **_


	5. Chapter 5

Danni pulled the blanket over her head as she growled in frustration. Grace was not good at sharing a room. First of all, she snored. Second of all, she _mumbled_ in her sleep. Third of all, Danni was a little too used to having her own room.

In her seventeen years on the planet, she never had to share her room. When Grace was little, sometimes she would ask to sleep in Danni's room, but not very often. Every night spent with mumbly, snory Grace made Danni want to go to her comfy bed at her dad's house. Her comfy bed, her quiet room, her _own room_, that sounded a whole lot better than her current sleeping arrangement.

Grace rolled over again and Danni flinched at the sound of her grinding her teeth. Okay, she had officially had enough.

Throwing her blankets off, Danni snuck out the door toward her mother's room. The door was closed and Danni hesitated before knocking. There was the sound of covers ruffling and a slight hum that told Danni she could enter.

Alicia sleepy lifted her heavy eyelids to see her oldest daughter trudging toward her. "Not feeling well?" Alicia asked as her hand reached out to feel Danni's forehead.

Danni shook her head. "Can I sleep with you? Grace is keeping me awake."

A knowing smile came over Alicia's lips as she pulled the covers back. Another thing that was new to Danni and she couldn't recall ever doing before Peter went to prison was sleeping in her mother's bed. As long as Danni could remember, Alicia had Peter and Peter was not her dad. She did not feel welcome there after a nightmare or when she wasn't feeling well. While Zach and Grace would crawl into bed with their parents, Danni would lay in bed.

Alicia could remember the times when she would wake to the sounds of soft whimpers and immediately go on the search for the source. It was always Danni. Zach and Grace would always go to their parents' room, but Danni would not move. She would wait for Alicia to crawl into the little bed and let Danni cuddle into her side. There would be no words spoken, but Alicia would bury her nose in her daughter's curls and inhale the same scent she's held since she was a baby.

As the seventeen year old Danni settled in bed next to her mother, Alicia couldn't help but wrap her arms around her and bury her nose into the wild curls like she had for all those years.

"You still smell like you did when you were a baby. Well, plus," Alicia took another deep inhale, "pomegranate body wash."

Danni laughed as she rested deeper into her mother's side. "You're so weird," she mumbled as Alicia hummed and kept her tight hold.

As Alicia held her daughter, she slow realized her mind was working much too well to fall right back asleep. It was on a dangerous path and Alicia couldn't seem to shake it off. Her fingers ran through her daughter's curls. "When you were a baby, your dad used to hover over you like he was afraid you would disappear," Alicia told her daughter softly. Danni remained completely still and silent. It was a very rare occasion that her mother discussed the time when her parents raised her together. "Though, I assured him we were stuck with you, he didn't mind waking up and feeding you or rocking you back to sleep and he would always talk to you like you may reply."

Alicia smiled at the memories. "From the very beginning, you were a daddy's girl. There were times where there was absolutely nothing I could do to make you stop crying and your dad would just smile at you and you would coo at him like there was nothing wrong."

Danni looked up at Alicia. "He _is_ a good dad," she said with a smile.

Alicia nodded, her own smile coming to her lips. "He is."

"Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"You're a good mom too." Danni could almost feel her mother's smile. "I hope that me being a daddy's girl never hurt you," she added. She always worried that she showed favoritism toward her dad, but it wasn't like she loved her dad more, she just didn't like putting more stress on her mom. Danni loved her mom. Her mom was a great mom and would do anything to protect her and her siblings, but Danni always wanted to prove to be strong enough that she didn't need protecting like everyone else.

To her surprise, Alicia let out a gentle laugh. "You could never hurt me. You and your dad are good for each other. You keep him… human-" She hesitated, wondering if that was the right word before continuing. "-and he makes sure you're okay when you're too busy acting like the big sister around here."

She kissed her daughter's hair as she closed her eyes, her mind drifting back to Will. He was good for Danni and if she was honest with herself, she knew he was good for her too. It had been years since she had been this happy. It had been over a decade since she felt like herself. Will made her feel twenty-five again. He made her remember the romance and the passion and now that they weren't twenty-five, he showed her that his boyish charm was an outer shell to his tender heart and a strong man.

Peter used to criticize her for keeping casual conversation with him, but he couldn't understand that Will Gardner and had a piece of her soul. Together they had created a person; a person that they both loved and knew was special in a way that only a parent could understand. Maybe Peter could understand better now, but he was too busy hating the fact she and Will were back in close proximities.

With Peter preparing his campaign for State's Attorney, Alicia and Will had to be careful. Their venture in uncharted territory was often supervised with Danni on week night dinners, but that wasn't to say they didn't sometimes sneak to his apartment for a private lunch.

They were careful with their physicality. Alicia was hesitant to sleep with Will, and Will knew better than to push her. She felt like she was cheating. She _was_ cheating. It didn't matter if Peter had done it first, he was still living in her home and they were still married. But she liked Will. She liked the familiarity of him, though they hadn't been so close in years. She liked him kissing her neck, and the way his lips would barely brush hers when he knew they had to stop and keep their secret.

"Mom?"

Alicia looked down at her daughter again. Her breathing was slower and she seemed very close to sleep. "Yes?"

Danni let out another gentle breath. "I love you."

Alicia's fingers continued to gently comb through her daughter's curls. She and Will created this amazing child, this passionate, resilient, intelligent child. For some reason, the thought brought tears to Alicia's eyes. "I love you too."

The Good Wife

Alicia's phone vibrated as she sat in her office, rereading the same case file for the third time. She felt like she was missing something but she couldn't put her finger on what exactly. As she glanced at her phone, she felt a rush of nerves wash over her.

_Dinner? –Will_

For a moment she glanced at the piles of folders on her desk and knew that it was going to take a while for her to get out of there, but she really wanted dinner.

_Danni? –Alicia_

_With Kalinda. Btw I have her report card. –Will_

Alicia mentally told herself to go through the pile of mail she had been ignoring for the last couple of days. Before she could reply, the door to her office swung open and Will stood there looking very proud of himself. "Ready?"

Alicia let out a laugh. "You gave me a two minute warning?" she asked as she leaned back in her chair. Things were surprisingly easy between them. They enjoyed their little games, their easy teasing. It was just fun and comfortable, like two good friends realizing they could be more. The complication? Peter. On more than one occasion she wished that there weren't any complications.

"You have twenty seconds to get your stuff. Our reservation is in half an hour," Will said glancing behind him to make sure no one behind him to hear him. "Half an hour reservation. Half an hour to an hour to eat and Danni knows that I won't be home until ten."

His eyes said the rest and it sent a chill down her back. She grabbed her coat and her bag and stood up, making Will grin. "Where's the reservation?"

"It's a secret."

Danni accepted the coffee Kalinda offered her as they continued down the snowy Chicago sidewalks. Kalinda never treated Danni like a kid. In fact, sometimes it seemed like Kalinda forgot that she was a kid at all.

In Danni's wallet there were three ID's with matching pictures with different ages and names. Kalinda supplied them to her saying they were for when she needed to get in someplace to investigate. Bars, clubs, hotels. It was so much easier if she was over the age of twenty-one and she could certainly look it.

Kalinda glanced at Danni who seemed to be in thought most of the day. "What's up with you?"

"What?" Danni asked, blinking at her in confusion.

Kalinda seemed amused by her denial. "What? You get a B on your report card? Thinking about finally introducing the boyfriend you've been hiding for six months to your parents?"

But Danni looked at the ever stoic Kalinda and searched her expression. She was good at reading people, and though Kalinda offered little to go off of, Danni could see what other people didn't. "You know exactly what I'm thinking, but you want to make sure I'm thinking it before you bring it up."

Once again, Danni had a way of making Kalinda proud and a little concerned at the same time. The fear of taking on a student is when the student surpasses the teacher. Kalinda had a lot of secrets that she liked to keep that way and if Danni discovered them, she could get hurt.

"Will seems to be extra hard on Alicia at work," Kalinda hummed, watching Danni out of the corner of her eye.

"But they seem to get along very well at our weekly dinners. Peter is getting increasingly jealous and Mom seems to care a little less about what he thinks." A smile tugged at Danni's lips that the thought, but then she quickly sobered. "Would it be wrong of me to… keep an eye on them?"

She took a second to think about that before she answered. "I think that if they wanted you to know something they would tell you." If there was something Kalinda knew for sure about Alicia it was that she protected her children first. They were probably keeping Danni out of the loop for a reason and it wasn't a bad idea.

"No, by the way," Danni added as they stopped at her car. "I'm still number two in my class, and Travis is not my boyfriend. We just occasionally are more than friends. I don't have boyfriends. Besides, Mom will try to make me have him over for Christmas or something weird."

Kalinda shook her head as Danni climbed into her driver's seat. The kid was seventeen and already had a fear commitment. Or maybe a fear of getting hurt. Either way, Kalinda worried about the kid. Mostly because Danni sure the hell never acted like a kid.

The Good Wife

"You lied," Alicia said with a smile as she leaned back against the base of the sofa with her box of takeout. "You said reservations."

There was a fake pout on Alicia's lips that made Will grin as he leaned over and kissed her. Their lips lingered, enjoying the taste of each other's mouths. Alicia loved the way he kissed her. It was gentle, but it held that undertone of need that made her feel special. Special was a good feeling, an intoxicating feeling that left her weak in the knees and always wanting more. Chinese takeout on the floor of his apartment with a couple of beers and discussing Danni's Christmas gifts and report card was maybe one of the best dates she's ever had because of the butterflies in her stomach at the way he looked at her.

"I like it better when I have you all to myself," Will replied, pulling her against him. She rested against his chest and stuck her nose in his neck.

"Yeah, until Danni comes home," she replied kissing where she could feel his pulse against her lips. "Then we have to pretend like we were meeting for parental purposes."

"Until then…" Will slid his hand around her face and into her hair as his lips found hers again.

Alicia smiled into the kiss as she moved up, sliding one leg over his two, straddling his waist. She did it all without breaking contact. There was an urge to feel his skin underneath her fingers as she reached to undo his shirt.

Things were going in a dangerous direction. His hands were on the back of her thighs, inching up the hem of her dress. Her center rubbed against him, making them both moan. The heat was intensifying by the second and their minds were clouded with want. Eighteen years was too long. Eighteen years was an eternity when someone made her feel this alive.

She pushed his shirt off his shoulders as he started kissing her collarbone. His tongue flickered against her skin and she gasped, her nails digging into his back. There was a voice in the back of her head that was demanding she stop, but she couldn't-she wouldn't. It had been too long.

The sound of a phone ringing broke through the sounds of their own breaths, but neither of them stopped. "Let it ring," Will muttered, sending a surge through her body once again. But once that phone started ringing, the other started vibrating at their feet.

Alicia sighed and sat back. They held apologetic eye contact for a short time before Alicia snatched the phone off the floor, but didn't move from her position.

"Yes, Kalinda?"

Alicia's face paled as she stood, grabbing her keys. "Which hospital?... Okay. We'll be there."

Will's heart was now beating at a dangerous speed. "What's going on?"

Alicia turned to look at him, tears already building in her eyes. "Danni was in an accident."

_**Please review**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**So I have more planned for this bit of the storyline, but the chapter was starting to get long and I really didn't want to post a 6k chapter. Therefore, I cut it in half to minimize the wait. Here's the first half. **_

_**Btw, some pondering that was left in reviews is sort of answered in here. **_

Kalinda wasn't even sure what happened. She was walking toward her vehicle when she heard the sound of breaks squealing and metal hitting metal with a deafening crash. People were shouting and taking out their cellphones to take pictures and call 9-1-1. It looked like three vehicles. A large black Escalade seemed to have hit a slick spot or something on the pavement and nailed a back BMW stopped in the left turn lane on the driver's side.

The realization hit Kalinda as she got a better view of the BMW pinned between the Escalade and a street light post. Her chest tightened as she ran toward the scene, pushing people out of her way.

"Danni!" she called, hoping to get some response. There wasn't any. As she jumped around the side of the vehicle, she could see Danni motionless in the driver's seat. Her face was bleeding, but Kalinda wasn't close enough to see if she was breathing.

"I'm calling 9-1-1," a man next to her said as Kalinda looked around for something to break the back window. She needed to get in that car to check on Danni. That girl needed to be breathing, she needed to be alive.

"Good," she muttered. Her brain was working too fast to really care what he said. Someone had to have been calling 9-1-1. There was over a dozen people on the street that had seen it happen. The driver of the Escalade opened his door and stumbled out.

"Oh my God, is she okay?" The man seemed relatively unhurt and for some reason that made Kalinda increasingly angry.

"Does she look okay?" Kalinda snapped before going to the back of his truck and opening without his permission. "Do you have anything heavy? Tools? Anything?"

She was already throwing things around before he could answer. There was an aluminum bat and Kalinda let out a breath. Her mind had shut out all the chatter as she ran back to the passenger side of the car and swung the bat at the window of the rear door. The sound of the glass shattering didn't really register as Kalinda popped the lock up and climbed into the seat. Two fingers immediately went to Danni's neck for a pulse. It was there. Sluggish, but there.

"Danni, can you hear me?" Kalinda said softly. There was the sound of sirens nearing and she could feel the panic set in all over when Danni didn't respond. "Danni, I need you to say something."

But Danni didn't. There was blood covering the left side of her face and matting in her hair. Her nose was also bleeding, but Kalinda assumed that was from the airbag. Still, her chest rose and fell with small breathes. She was alive.

Kalinda pulled out her phone and hit speed dial as she kept her hand where she could follow Danni's pulse. Will's phone went to voicemail after the fifth ring and she quickly called Alicia's next.

_"Yes, Kalinda?"_ Alicia sounded out of breath, but Kalinda didn't have time or patience to think about that right then.

"Danni's been in a car accident. She's breathing but she's not responsible. The ambulance is on its way," Kalinda said so quickly that she almost worried that Alicia wouldn't be able to understand her.

There was a slight hesitation on the line and Kalinda could probably guess that Alicia was trying to wrap her mind around everything and remain calm. Calm wasn't exactly something Alicia was known for when it came to her kids and this was a time that any parent would struggle to remain calm. _"Which hospital?"_

Kalinda thought for a second. The closest hospital wasn't a trauma center, so they would probably take her to- "Chicago Trauma and Critical."

The Good Wife

Will drove as Alicia dialed her house phone. As much as she didn't want to have the conversation, she really hoped Peter picked up the phone. Grace and Zach would panic and she didn't have it in her to calm them and remain calm herself. At least she could count on Peter to have a clear head.

_"Hello?"_ She let out a sigh of relief.

"Okay, Danni was in a car accident and I'm headed to the hospital now," Alicia said quickly, running a nervous hand through her hair. When did her hands start shaking? Probably about the same time the Chinese food didn't want to settle in her stomach.

_"Wait, is she okay?" _

"I-I don't know, but I need you to tell Zach and Grace that everything is fine. Kalinda said she wasn't conscious but I'm sure she'll be okay. Tell them that everything will be okay and I'll be home when I can," Alicia told him, her voice cracking. She tugged on Will's sleeve and pointed. "Turn here."

"I know," Will snapped, making her pull her hand back and look at him. Obviously he had scared her with his attitude. He didn't mean to sound harsh, but he was scared. Taking a deep breath, he glanced at Alicia. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound like that."

Alicia offered him a tight smile as their fingers interlinked on the console. "We're both scared."

_"Will's with you,"_ Peter said sounding somewhere between accusing and annoyed.

"Of course he's with me," Alicia snapped. She was too on edge to deal with his jealousy. "He's her father."

_"Yeah. Well, keep me updated,"_ Peter replied icily before ending the phone call. 

Alicia scoffed at her phone as she dropped it into her lap. She covered her mouth with her hand as she tried to pull herself together, like her sanity would escape with her breath. "Danni needs to be okay."

Will brought her hand to his lips. "She's Danni."

That elicited a small laugh from Alicia just because it was true. Nothing got Danni down. Danni was a fighter and she hadn't lost a battle yet.

The Good Wife

Grace and Zach both stared at their father. "What do you mean she was in an accident?" Zach asked as the worry started to kick in. This was Danni they were talking about. Danni didn't get in accidents, Danni didn't have accidents, Danni was careful and observant. She didn't get into bad situations because she always saw them coming.

"Is she okay?" Grace asked. "We have to see her!"

Peter held up his hands, trying to calm them. Though no one would probably believe him, he was worried too. He spent many years with Danni as her step-dad. The girl had made it very clear that she had a father and he could remember the days that she didn't mind holding conversation with him or making jokes. They could laugh, they could joke and he cared about her. He loved her, just differently than he loved Grace and Zach. She was his step-daughter, not his daughter.

"Your mom is with her, Gracie," Peter told her calmly.

Zach looked at him, his eyes studying his father's tight features. "And Will."

Peter blinked at his son. "Yes. And Will. Will is Danni's dad. I would be there if one of you were in the hospital." He bit the inside of his cheek, partially realizing that he was telling himself this too.

"But Mom needs us there," Grace argued. "Danni too. She's our sister!"

"Your mom said she'd call when she had information, but she doesn't want you to worry. Danni's tough. If your mom says she ok, then she's okay," Peter reasoned with them. "You know your sister will be fine."

But Grace shook her head. "No! Danni will want us there. Did anyone even ask her?"

Peter was growing exhausted. "I'm sure they will when she wakes up."

That got both of their attention and Peter flinched realizing his mistake. "Wakes up?" Zach snapped. "She's not awake?"

"Dad! We have to go!" Grace demanded. "We have to! Danni would be there if it was one of us."

"That's enough!" Zach and Grace turned around to see Jackie standing in the kitchen with a pizza box. She was wearing that condescending expression that told everyone whatever she was going to say they weren't going to like. "If your mother was concerned enough to bring you to the hospital to say goodbyes to your sister-"

"Mother," Peter snapped with a bit of an eye roll. His mother's dislike for his step-daughter did not need to be expressed during a time where everyone was already on edge. Whether she liked it or not, Danni was still Alicia's kid. If he cared about Alicia, he cared about Danni. That was the way it was supposed to work.

"-but she didn't so Danni's probably fine." Jackie shook her head. "I'm sure your sister is fine and your mother is just trying to be a good mother and not bother you with all the details."

Zach and Grace exchanged look. "I'm calling Mom," Grace said defiantly, grabbing the phone off the table and headed to her room. Peter followed her.

"Your mom is busy. She'll call when she can," he told her as Grace started to dial, but she stopped.

She looked down at the phone that she held with both hands then back at her father. The only person who knows how much a little sister loves a big sister is a little sister. When Danni cries, Grace cries. When Danni hurts, Grace hurts. Sisters felt for each other and sister were there for each other when they needed each other.

Danni had been there for Grace through everything, wearing a strong face and always taking care of her. It was Grace's turn to be there, but no one would let her.

"She's my sister," Grace told him. "What if she's really hurt?"

Peter let out a breath as he pulled his daughter into his arms. "You just have to trust that she's okay and when your Mom calls, you can talk to her then."

The Good Wife

Danni felt like her limbs were weighed down by cinder blocks as sound started registering. It was muffled, but she could hear voices. Words were unclear but they were there. Sounds were coming back as she tried to open her eyes. She was met with blurry vision and lots of white light.

"What's goin' on?" she muttered yet she didn't really feel it come out and she definitely knew whatever did come out wasn't words. There was something over her mouth.

Suddenly there were all kinds of people touching her and she hated it. Lights were being flashed in her eyes again. Her head hurt, but her hands and feet felt cold. Something in her left shoulder was screaming.

Everything was sounding a little too much like the teacher on Charlie Brown and her vision wasn't really clearing. What the hell was going on?

The Good Wife

Alicia and Will both ran through the entrance of the ER and were met by Kalinda almost immediately. "She was out for a long time, but she was physically responsive," Kalinda explained as she walked them to Danni's room.

A nurse came running toward them. "Your niece is awa-" The young woman then turned to Alicia and Will. "Are you the parents?"

Will nodded numbly and the nurse seemed to smile. She recognized the signs of a terrified father. "She's awake. It would be best if she had you two there to talk to her."

They both nodded and followed the nurse. It was terrifying to walk into a room where a doctor was hovering above your child, checking her pulse and blood pressure. The doctor glanced behind him as they walked into the room. There was a gentle look from the man as he motioned them closer.

"Danni, you have visitors."

There was the sound of Danni's dramatic groan and both parents felt a little lighter. "If someone else is going to poke me or ask me who the president is, I swear to God I'll tell them Betty White."

Alicia smiled as she let out a breath. "Yeah, I think that one's ours."

But as she stepped up to greet her daughter, her breathing stopped again. Danni's face was bruised and she had stitches across her forehead and a few under her cheek bone. There was still blood in her hair and on the gown she wore. Her arm was in a sling and there was more stitches in her shoulder. The severally irrational side of Alicia was screaming that her daughter looked like she was being held together by string while the rational side was reminding her that car accidents involve glass and stitches were just stitches. There were a lot worse things in the world than stitches.

Will was better than Alicia at hiding his shock, but Danni already saw it. She looked at her dad as Alicia fell back into step. "Do I really look that bad?" she tried to joke, but it fell short just barely.

"A little rough, but nothing worse than usual," he replied kissing the right side of her forehead and making her choke out a laugh. The poor girl looked like hell, but she breathing and she was okay. Alicia's hand took her daughter's good one. Her emotions were back to being guarded, but for once, Danni's weren't nearly as masked as usual.

"I assume your Mr. Gardner and Mrs. Florrick, I'm Dr. Hawn," the man said offering out his hand. "It's nice to finally meet you."

Will accepted his hand but felt he was missing something. Yet, he didn't have time to think about it as Dr. Hawn jumped into a diagnosis. "Your daughter has a moderate concussion, so she'll be a little sluggish. No running, no basketball or anything very active. You may experience some dizziness and vomiting for a few days but I want you to schedule an appointment with your normal doctor. Have him check that shoulder as well, and remove the stitches in five days."

Alicia didn't say anything, her eyes were locked on her daughter's face. Danni narrowed her eyes at her, but smiled anyway. Those teasing, mischievous looks were trying to prove to her mother that she was fine, but her eyes were in it. Her eyes were telling her mother just how scared she was.

"Your ribs are bruised, so it will hurt to breathe, but the pain medicine should help with that too and don't forget to go easy on that leg. It's going to be sore." Dr. Hawn looked smiled at Danni as he put the chart back down. "You gave us all quite a scare there, Danni. I don't think you'll be joining us for Saturday's dinner, but I think this is enough of an excuse."

Danni nodded, not wanting to have that conversation with her parents yet. It was a little too late though, they were already studying her, trying to figure out what she was hiding. "Thank you, sir."

Dr. Hawn smiled. "The nurse will be around with your discharge papers. If you need anything, just have Travis call me." Danni nodded again and Dr. Hawn looked back at Alicia and Will. "It would be great to have the three of you over for dinner sometime. My wife and I just adore Danni. You've raised a great young lady."

With that, Dr. Hawn said his final goodbyes and both of Danni's parents send her questioning looks.

She let out a breath and rolled her eyes. "I'm dating his son."

Both parents nodded slowly. "How long have you been dating?" Alicia asked. Perhaps it was wrong of her to question her daughter while she was on pain meds and just experienced something fairly traumatic, but Danni had a lot of secrets and Alicia wanted some questions answered.

Danni shrugged. "Not that long. Like six months?"

Will blinked at his daughter. "You've had a secret boyfriend for six months? That would have been nice to know."

Danni pouted at him. "Can we talk about this when I don't feel like I've been hit by a car?"

Alicia couldn't help but smile as her hands framed her daughter's face, careful of all the stitches and bruising. "Right now, I'm just really glad you're okay." She gently kissed her daughter's forehead and resisted the urge to hug her.

Kalinda watched as Will rubbed circles on Alicia's back, soothing her worries as they talked to Danni. They looked like a family. There was a time where Alicia admitted that she thought Will would be more than just her friend. Before Danni, they were friends. They were close and she would go to him after a bad day and talk to him about everything and nothing. Then one night it all changed.

_"It was business law, cold pizza, and bad beer,"_ Alicia told her. _"We were laughing, joking about Dr. Ferguson and his bad breath when he just looked at me. No one had ever looked at me like that. I mean, I wasn't a virgin, hell I was twenty-two. But the way Will looked at me shook me to the core. I don't know which one of us moved first, but somehow we were kissing. If you would have told me nine months later I would have Danni, I wouldn't have thought it was possible. I also wouldn't have thought it was possible that Will and I never slept with each other again."_

Peter didn't mind that Alicia had Danni, he was too busy trying to keep up with her. She wanted Will to make the move, to tell her that he wanted more than just this companionship parenting plan, but he never spoke up. Peter did. Peter wasn't love at first sight, but he was charming. He tried with Danni and he wasn't afraid to say what he wanted. He wanted her, even if she was a package deal.

Yet as Kalinda watched Alicia and Will, she wondered how long they could live off a spark. If handled properly, a spark can become a fire that burns. But it took work and attention. It took more than secret meetings and longing glances. Because just as easily as a spark can set a fire, it can also burn out.

**_Please review!_**


	7. Chapter 7

_**So.. this chapter sort of broke my heart.**_

It had been agreed that Danni would stay with Will, mostly because it was quieter and less cramped than Alicia's place, but it was also agreed that Alicia would be staying as well. The conversation with Grace and Zach led to an agreement that Jackie would bring them over.

Alicia gave her daughter an odd look. "Are you sure you want the couch over your bedroom?"

Danni gave her an _are you serious_ look. "I have TV there, and there's no talking about me behind my back." Her eyes narrowed as Alicia helped her walk across the apartment. One of the injuries they couldn't see was the twelve more stitches on her thigh. Putting pressure on her leg was certainly uncomfortable, but they couldn't give her crutches at the moment due to the fact she dislocated her shoulder. So instead Danni limped around with as little help from her parents as possible. "Remember, even if I look asleep, I may not be asleep."

Will rolled his eyes as he watched his daughter limped toward the kitchen, completely passing up the couch. Alicia just sighed and kept her arm around her daughter's waist and making sure she was stead. "Danni, I would feel better if you would just sit down. If you want something, then we can get it for you."

"I want to move for a little bit. Without hovering." Another look was shot at Alicia and Alicia shot one right back.

"I'm a mom. It's my job to hover."

Danni rolled her eyes. "That's such a mom line."

"I'm full of them. I'm a mom. They give you a book after child birth of 'mom lines' to feed your kids," Alicia quipped still following her daughter. "If you're going to move around with over thirty stitches in your body, a dislocated shoulder, and a concussion, you bet I'm going to hover."

It felt oddly comfortable to have all three of them under one room. Will was going to make dinner for Danni and Alicia… and actually Zach and Grace as well. It was slightly intimidating, but he enjoyed being Danni's dad and this apparently just came with it sometimes.

Danni turned to stick her tongue out at her, but made a wrong maneuver and hit her bad leg against a bar stool. An alarmed yelp escaped her lungs and Alicia quickly tried to catch Danni before she hit the ground. With her mother's arm around her torso, Danni clung to her mother's sleeve with his good hand and looked like she was once again in pain. Without hesitation, Will went over to his daughter and scooped her off the ground. She pouted at him as he carried her to the couch. "You're going to lay here," he told her, setting her down and pulling the blanket off the back to drape it over his daughter, "and you're going to not complain about it."

"Will too," she countered, but she still looked like she was hurting. He shook his head at her and kissed her forehead.

"Try and sleep for a little bit. I'm sure Zach and Grace will be here soon enough," Will told his daughter. "If you need more medicine, just tell us, okay?"

She looked frustrated but nodded. Will studied her for a second. Alicia and Danni spend a good hour in the bathroom earlier just washing the blood out of her hair and she still was trying to look tough. Eventually she'd learn that she didn't have to be tough all the time. "You need something now, don't you?" he asked her.

She hesitated before her eyes fell and she nodded. "Everything hurts," she told him.

Alicia felt her heart ache at the confession, especially since Will nearly had to drag it out of her. She watched as Will twisted open the bottled water and offered her that and a pill. Still, Danni hesitated. "It's going to put me to sleep before Grace and Zach get here."

The parents looked at each other before Will nodded. "Alright, I won't make you take it until you get time to see Zach and Grace. Then you're taking it and going to bed. To your real bed and not the couch, understood?"

Danni nodded, but she still didn't want to look up at them. So much of her left side was bruised while the rest of her looked fairly unharmed. The thing about parents and kids though, parents can see the harm that no one else could see. They could see the hurt on the inside, the fear and the insecurity.

"Will you sit with me? Both of you?"

The small voice broke her parents' hearts. Danni was never insecure, Danni was never unsure. Alicia moved over to the couch and opened her arms out to her daughter who carefully maneuvered herself to comfortably lie against her mother. Her eyes drooped closed as Will joined her on the other side, pulling her legs across his lap.

With their daughter between them, Will feels the emotion in his throat. There was a time where he imagined this happening, but now it was a hard reminder that his little girl was nearly an adult and he held a secret relationship with her mother. He never thought he'd want a family, but he spent a lot of time trying to forget he lost his chance at his.

Will's eyes stayed on his daughter. Danni wasn't someone who often looked fragile. "You sure you don't want to go to your bed?" he asked her softly as she sluggishly pushed her hair off her face, never opening her eyes.

She shook her head against her mom's shoulder, jumping a little when her stitches rub against Alicia's shirt. "Just until Zach and Grace get here," she told them softly.

Alicia hell her daughter against her chest, humming a familiar song that she had hummed or sang to Danni since before she was born. It was the first song Will and Alicia danced to together. There was a very real shock written all over Will's face as he recognized the song. Alicia smiled at him as she reached for his hand. It was almost poetic that their daughter's lullaby would be their song.

_Saying I love you_

_Is not the words I want to hear from you_

_It's not that I want you_

_Not to say, but if you only knew_

_How easy it would be to show me how you feel_

_More than words is all you have to do to make it real_

_Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me_

_'Cause I'd already know_

Their hands quickly separated at a knocking on the door. Alicia's eyes followed Will as she continued to hum to Danni and he moved toward the door. Maybe this wasn't fair. She wasn't ready to leave Peter, she wasn't ready to tell her kids that she wasn't in love with their father anymore, she wasn't ready to break her children's hearts.

But Will was important, Danni was important. Maybe Alicia would become ready. She had let Peter rule her life. She had let Danni fall through the cracks a few too many times and she swore it would never happen again.

As the door opened Will immediately put his finger to his lips with a smile. Zach, Grace and Jackie all stood in the doorway "Danni's sleeping-" he began to tell the two wide eyed teenagers as they walked through the door.

"Am not," she called back, her own voice hurting her head. She flinched as she sat up and her hand flew over her mouth.

In an instant, Alicia was on her feet, her arm around Danni to get her up too. "Bathroom?" she questioned already moving toward the hall.

"Second door on the left," Will called back immediately.

As they disappeared down the hall, Will looked back at Grace and Zach. "She's feeling pretty rough," Will explained.

Grace looked at him. "She looks awful."

Will almost laughed. "Don't tell her that." Zach and Grace slowly moved deeper into the apartment, but froze again at the sound of Danni losing her stomach contents. The bathroom door opened and Alicia stepped out.

"She asked me to pull up her hair and tell you she's fine." Alicia rolled her eyes a bit as she pressed her lips to Grace's hair and then Zach's. "So, she's fine."

Will gave Zach and Grace a smile as Alicia suddenly realized the awkward situation. Her two kids and mother-in-law were standing in her daughter's father's house. The man she was making out with when she found out her daughter was in an accident was smiling at her two other children not one hundred percent sure where to go from there, and what did Alicia do? She decided it was a good time to go on a hunt for crackers, or something easy to put on Danni's stomach.

"Umm… Do you have saltines or something?" Alicia asked Will as she rubbed her hands together.

"Yeah, in the pantry," he said nodding toward the kitchen. Then he looked back at the two teenagers standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. Once again, this was a part of their sister's life they sort of just imagined. Will's apartment was probably twice the size of theirs, even though only two people lived there, and it was a more open style. There were large windows and expensive looking furnishings. Danni really did lead a double life.

"Would you like something to drink?" Will offered them. "Coke, Gatorade, water? Danni keeps the place pretty well stocked."

"Pibb?" Grace tried, knowing it was Danni's favorite.

"Now, Grace, you know you don't need soda," Jackie jumped in, taking off her gloves and ready to make herself at home. "It does not help weight problems."

Will's jaw tightened as he struggled to keep his own comments at bay, and Alicia knocked over a box of spaghetti noodles at the insinuation her mother-in-law had made to her daughter. Poor Grace had sunk back into herself, looking ashamed of her request. It took everything Will had not to make tell Jackie that Grace was perfect the way she looked. She was built thicker than Danni, but Danni was almost too thin with her build and athleticism. Why would anyone tell a thirteen year old girl to basically watch her weight? Thirteen was hard on girls! He remembered how even Danni was insecure and awkward at Grace's age.

"Jackie!" Alicia snapped, relieving some tension from Will's jaw. At least someone was going to say it.

Still, the damage had been done. Grace looked at her mother and shrugged. "It's okay, Mom. I'll just have water."

Zach snarled at Jackie and shook his head. "She wants a Pibb and so do I." He almost dared his grandmother to challenge him and it made Alicia proud. Zach had been acting more and more like a big brother these days. He was growing up and Alicia didn't know how to stop it.

"Two Pibbs coming right up. Would you like a water, Jackie?" Will asked with a raised eyebrow. "I assume you're trying to watch your figure."

Alicia shot him a bemused look as her children snickered a bit, but Jackie offered no answer.

"Mom?" a weak voice called from the bathroom. Poor Danni sounded like she was in even more pain. With a warning glance shot at her mother-in-law, Alicia picked up the bottled water and pain pill that she had tried to get Danni to take earlier and headed toward the bathroom.

As she slowly opened the door, she could see Danni sitting against the bathtub with her legs pulled against her chest and her head resting on her knees. "I didn't think I'd feel this bad," she mumbled. Her head was pounding and her surrounding spinning. Every move she made hurt her head and she didn't know when her neck and back started hurting. The soreness was definitely kicking in and she was beginning to realize she didn't just want to tough it out.

"Here," Alicia said, kneeling down in front of her daughter on the white tile floor. "This will make you feel at least a little better and help you sleep."

It alarmed Alicia that Danni didn't even argue this time. She simply accepted the pills and barely glanced up at her mother. "I want to go to my room."

Alicia nodded but noticed the girl made no motion to get up. "Can you walk?" she asked her, pushing the brown curls out of her face, but Danni just shook her head. "I'll go get your dad and have him carry you to bed."

Just as Alicia got up, Danni grabbed her mother's shirt sleeve. Her head weakly rose to look her mother in the eye. "You're not going to leave me right? I know Peter doesn't want you to stay here, but I really don't want you to leave, Mom."

Alicia felt a knot in her throat form as she wrapped her arms around her daughter and scooted to sit next to her against the bath tub. "As long as you need me, I'm right here. You come first, and I'm so sorry if you ever felt that you didn't."

On a normal day, Danni may have argued with her, but she currently didn't have enough fight left to do so. Instead, Alicia held Danni for a few more seconds before promising to return and check on her when Will got her to bed.

When she reappeared in the family room, Zach and Grace had gotten more comfortable with the surrounding and Jackie seemed to be questioning Will. "So you're Alicia's boss and Danni's father?"

Will seemed to be doing his best to ignore her. "I am."

Alicia narrowed her eyes, deciding she'd watch until it got bad. "You spend a lot of time with Danni."

Will rolled his eyes as he continued to work in the kitchen. Alicia couldn't see what he was working on, but he was doing a good job at dealing with her insane mother-in-law. "I do. She's my daughter."

"So you're close to your daughter?"

"Yeah. Danni and I are very close. We talk. I like talking to my daughter."

Jackie nodded. "So you know my son and Alicia are still married. They live together. They-"

That was a pretty good time to jump in. "Okay! Will, Danni needs help getting to bed-"

Will immediately nodded and stopped what he was doing. "Zach and Grace, will you open her bedroom door and pull her covers down so I could put her to bed?" Then he hesitated for a second, but Zach immediately understood.

"We won't say anything about how she looks, and we'll try not to make those faces that say how bad she looks," Zach said with a nod. "Danni's taken care of us before. We can take a page from her book today. Right Grace?"

Grace looked hesitant but nodded. "I'll try."

Will smiled. He never realized how close the kids really were. Danni always talked highly of her siblings, but it just occurred to him how strong that bond was and how it ran both ways. For a long time, Danni had made sure all of them were okay and now it was their turn to make sure she was okay. They were going to make sure they were up to the task.

"Which one's her room?" Grace asked looking down the hall.

"Last one on the right," Will told her as he walked toward the bathroom.

As he opened the door, his heart broke at the sight of Danni quickly wiping her tears and look up at him. "I'm okay, Daddy," she promised, her eyes still glassy and her cheeks still tearstained. He kneeled down and looked her in the eye.

"You're not okay, and you want to know how I know that? You just called me daddy," he said gently. "The last time you called me daddy since you were six, was when you had the flu so bad that you were out of school for over a week."

But Danni shook her head as more tears ran down her cheeks. "I don't want to be a bother, Daddy. I don't feel good."

Now he was getting worried to the point that he was halfway thinking about taking her to the hospital again. His hands felt her face. She wasn't feverish. Gently, he put one arm underneath her legs and cradled her as he lifted her. That night she wasn't tough or strong. Tonight Danni was a little girl.

As he carried her down the hallway, Danni closed her eyes and leaned against her father's chest. Grace and Zach covered their expressions well, but it was easy to see the concern in their eyes. Will gently laid her down in the bed and pulled the covers up to her shoulders. Her eyes didn't open.

"Daddy, don't tell Grace I'm sick," Danni muttered as Will laid her down in the bed. "She gets worried."

Will bit the inside of his cheek. She was high on the pain medication, sick from the concussion, and probably dehydrated too. She was borderline delusional. He glanced back at Grace and Zach who were watching them all nervously. "I think you need to get some sleep."

"Can I call Mom?" Danni muttered, her voice heavier with sleep.

"I'll send her in, kiddo."

Jackie stared at Alicia as she walked around the counter to Will's kitchen. She couldn't help but smirk a bit. He was getting everything out for Danni's favorite comfort food. Tomato soup and grilled cheese. They had never done this together. They had never comforted their daughter with this close of proximities to each other. It felt… natural.

"You seem very comfortable with him," Jackie commented.

Alicia rolled her eyes so much she nearly pulled a muscle. "I mean, he's seen me naked." There was a bit of a smirk in reaction to Jackie's eyes widening in horror. "After all, there's a seventeen year old girl in the back room who has both of our DNA. Fifty-fifty."

"You're crude," Jackie snapped.

"Yeah, well, my daughter was in a car accident today and my mother-in-law is nagging me about my daughter's father," Alicia snapped as she turned and looked around Will's kitchen. "And a glass of wine sounds _really _good right now."

"I don't like the way he looks at you."

"And I don't like the way you look at him, or Danni for that matter," Alicia said calmly.

There was the soft sound of footsteps that silenced their conversation and Grace was almost immediately in her mother's arms. "She looks really sick."

Will cleared his throat and motioned for Alicia to come to him. She gave him a concerned look, but before she could talk to him, Zach stepped up. "I think we should come back tomorrow. You don't have to say it, Mr. Gardner. Danni needs to sleep and get better."

Will put his hand on Zach's shoulder and squeezed it in thanks. Will really didn't want to tell Alicia it may be best if Zach and Grace leave, but he was already itching to call the doctor just to make sure Danni's behavior was… well, normal for the circumstances. If he allowed himself to admit it, he was terrified, but if he did admit it, Danni would see it too. Alicia could already see his masked hints, she understood.

"That's a good idea," Jackie said moving with a polite nod. "When can I tell Peter you'll be home?"

Alicia shrugged a bit as she prepared herself for the reaction. "I'm not sure. I'll be home when it's okay with Danni."

Jackie raised an eyebrow. "And where will you sleep."

"Probably next to my daughter, as I have done with my other children when they were sick. It's my job. Danni is my daughter too," Alicia reminded her curtly. She wasn't sure how much longer she could play this game before she physically snapped Jackie's neck and knocking the kids down a grandparent.

Jackie pursed her lips. "Fine. Say goodbye to your mother, kids."

Alicia shot another glare at her mother-in-law before she kissed her daughter's head and then her son's. "I'll call you guys later and keep you updated, okay?" Alicia said as she walked with them to the door.

They exchanged "I love you's" as they walked out the door and Alicia closed it behind them. She looked at Will in exhaustion as she let herself fall against the door and let out a breath. Will walked over to her and pulled her into his arms. He wanted to hold her, hold her together and comfort her.

But they comforted each other. They held each other together. "Danni wants you," Will told her as he continued holding her.

"I think she wants us," Alicia replied into his shoulder as he took her hand. "I'm really glad you're here."

"It may be my apartment, but she's our daughter," Will replied with a bit of a smile. Together they walked into Danni's bedroom. Alicia realized very quickly that she'd never been in Danni's bedroom in her father's home. It was very open, even had a view. There were paintings of different famous skylines and under some there were dates. Under New York's was written _May 2004_; London's was _July 2008_. San Diego's had three dates, and St. Louis's had a whole list.

It was stylish, expensively designed. Her art projects were tastefully added and Alicia felt a little guilty for forgetting how much talent Danni had in the arts. Alicia slid into the bed next to Danni and Will sat on the other side. She was finally sleeping and looking mostly peaceful.

Alicia laid there for hours, humming the familiar song again to her daughter. Will left after a couple hours to finish making dinner, and Alicia was alone to think. Her humming continued absentmindedly as she realized with heaviness in her chest that this was getting too comfortable too fast. She was falling in love with the idea of Will being a part of her life in every way, watching him be a father, letting him be friends with her kids and cooking her dinner even if it was canned soup and grilled cheese.

She was falling in love with him and falling into the days where he held her with his hands over her stomach, feeling their daughter move. They should have said something then… but then she wouldn't have Zach and Grace and she couldn't leave Peter without hurting them.

"Alicia," Will said softly from the door way. "Dinner's ready."

She nodded before slowly moving away from her daughter. Will watched her as they ate in silence. He was smart, he knew something was wrong. His hand found hers and he squeezed it tight. "Danni will be okay."

Alicia tried to smile, but she couldn't. The words in her throat were starting to choke her. "I can't fall in love with you," she said simply. "I have a husband. I have three kids, one of them may be yours too but two of them are my _husband's_ and I have to try for them. This thing, it's going to blow up in our faces with Peter running for State's Attorney."

Will felt frozen and his eyes on her. But what they had was going so well. Their lunches and dinners, their conversations about everything, their co-parenting. It felt right. "So you don't want to do this?"

Alicia bit her lip. "I need time, Will."

"Time…" he repeated numbly.

"I have to try with Peter," Alicia replied.

"Do you love him?" Will asked his heart aching. He needed her to say no. He needed her to say that he didn't love Peter. For too many years he loved her so much it made him hurt.

Alicia swallowed trying to find the right words. "I have to try," she repeated. "You can't change my mind, and I want you to. I want you change my mind. I want to change my mind. But this isn't just about us. This is about my kids. Danni likes what she has here, and Zach and Grace need their dad. I could ruin that."

Will was crumbling, but he wouldn't let her see that. Instead, he acted. His food was forgotten as he pushed his chair back and didn't care when it tumbled backward and hit the floor. Alicia stared at him as he pulled her chair out enough for him to put his hand to the back of her neck and kiss her in a way that she hadn't been kissed in a long time. It wasn't his gentle kisses that had an underlying passion. No. The kiss was raw and real and desperate. They had one night. They had tonight.

"I'm not going to wait this time," he told her between kisses. "I can't keep waiting, Alicia."

Tears were rolling down her face as she continued kissing him. "I won't ask you to."

She felt him lift her in much the same way he had lifted Danni earlier and carried her toward his bedroom. It was one night. They had one night. They had tonight.

It was just one night.

_***Wipes a tear* Don't give up hope, but I had a few plans and this was going to happen all along. Still, remember I have a plan. Please review. **_


	8. Chapter 8

_**First of all I would like to apologize for the delay. Life has been a little crazy. Second of all, I wrote this chapter with a few flashbacks and I would like to know if you would like more of them to show how Danni's life was before season 1 of The Good Wife. **_

Will stood in his kitchen, his hands absently working to make waffles, Danni's favorite, in hopes that she was feeling up to eating. His mind was wandering to things of the past, the memories he held closest and dearest.

They all started at the beginning.

_Alicia looked exhausted, but he had never seen her glowing with such happiness. She looked beautiful despite the sweat caking her hair to her forehead. Some people looked best in pearls or the color red, but Alicia looked best with her child in her arms. She didn't seem to be able to take her eyes off the little girl which she had so certainly named Danielle. She was early by more than a month, but she was strong. Will had been terrified the entire time, and he still couldn't shake the fact his heart should not have been pounding as hard as it was at the moment. He had been at Alicia's side through it all, holding her hand, whispering comforting words. Now it was all over and he was even more terrified looking at the barely five pound child in her mother's arms._

_"She's beautiful," Alicia whispered, finally peeling her teary eyes off the little girl in her arms to Will standing close to her, feeling a little awkward. Everything that he felt he should do, kiss Alicia and coo over their daughter, talk about how his daughter was going to be a great ball player and how he'd have to keep the boys away, all that was silenced with the fact he couldn't tell Alicia he loved her. She was the mother and he was the father but they weren't together. _

_"Like her mother," Will replied softly, offering Alicia a smile which she easily returned. Will leaned in closer, looking at the sleeping baby. His finger gently traced the smooth skin of her cheeks as she continued her sleep. She really was beautiful. Before, he always thought newborns looked weird. Babies were cute, but newborns were just awkward, but not his daughter. Danielle was beautiful from day one._

_Little eyes peeks out and Will felt his heart pick up the pace. Alicia could apparently see some sort of reaction out of him because she smiled and shifted over to one side of the bed. "Have a seat, Daddy, and hold your daughter."_

_There was a look of sheer panic on Will's face that made Alicia laugh. "Just sit down," she told him, nodding at the space she made on the bed. _

_Swallowing thickly, he sat down beside her and watched as she placed Danielle in his arms. She was so light. A gallon of milk probably weighed more than she did. There was a warmth that washed over him as he held his daughter, Alicia leaning lightly against his side. She kissed the back of his shoulder feeling freed from boundaries at the moment from the intimate moment of watching her daughter in her father's arms. _

_"Hi Danni," Will whispered, surprising them both with the name that came out of his mouth. He glanced at Alicia nervously who blinked at him. _

_"Danni, huh?" Alicia said with a smirk before looking back down at her baby. "Apparently Daddy was more invested in wanting a boy than he let on. What do you think? Can we call you Danni?" _

_Immediately the baby yawned and opened her big eyes too look up at her daddy. Alicia chuckled softly as she watched Will melt again. "I think Danni is a winner."_

_"Danielle Alexis?" Will offered, having the middle name in his mind for some time. The first name had been decided months ago, He only really turned down names he hated, it wasn't often that he offered a name out. _

_Alicia's face contorted a bit as she offered him a smirk. "Initials D.A.? Setting her up for a career in law?" _

_Will laughed with her, but then shrugged. "I just like the name."_

_"Danielle Alexis Gardner." When will shot her a surprised look, she chuckled. "She's your daughter, she should have your last name."_

_Will could barely believe his ears as he numbly nodded. His eyes looked back down at his daughter. He knew he was wrapped around that little girl's finger already and would be for the rest of his life. By the knowing, slightly smug, look Alicia was giving him, she probably knew so too. _

"Waffles?"

Will nearly jumped at the sound of the tired voice. As he turned around, he saw a sleepy Alicia dragging her bare feet toward him in his button down shirt and a pair of his boxers. She looked good with bed head. The relaxed look seemed to work well for her.

It had definitely been the best night's sleep for both of them in years. Alicia had really expected to wake up consumed in guilt, but she didn't. Instead, she slept naked against Will's body, bathing in his warmth and scent. It scared her a little how completely guilt free she was. Especially after a night like he had given her.

_Alicia laid against Will, his arm around her back, his hand tracing symbols on her hip. It shouldn't have felt that good. It shouldn't feel that natural. Every second she laid against him, her head on his shoulder, her hand over his beating heart, it felt like coming home. She needed to go check on Danni, but if she got up, she may never return to this place in time. It was the fear of waking up from the dream and reality calling her back into misery. _

_Will was doing the closest thing to praying he had done in a long time. This was love. He thought he had loved other women before, but nothing ever compared to what he and Alicia had together. His whole body wanted her, even if just to hold and cherish. The feeling of her warmth against him, the smell of her hair, it was a drug to him now. _

_His hand covered hers on his chest and he brought it to his lips, just barely caressing her knuckles with his lips. Dark brown eyes watched him. It was like he was in a trance. How could this just be one night? How could they have wasted 18 years? _

_The hand he held to his lips slowly moved around his cheeked as she looked at him, silently asking for his eyes. Their eyes met and chills ran down her spine at the deepness. It was like they were showing each other their souls. One night? She couldn't survive just one night. Peter was not the man she used to know and Will… Will was Will. He was strong. He loved fiercely and he could love all her children, unlike Peter. He could love all of her. It wouldn't be just her sacrificing, they would sacrifice together. They could love each other to a point where neither of them had ever been loved. _

_She wanted to tell him to never let her go, but she didn't need to. Will saw her. _

_"Ask me," she whispered to him. She need him to ask her to stay with him and not just for the night._

_But he shook his head. For an instant, her heart broke in the fear of what he was saying. He quickly lifted her chin back up to meet his eyes. "Tell me," he replied. "Tell me what you really want and I will make it happen."_

_For several seconds their eyes just stared into the depth of one another before Alicia slowly moved up and kissed his lips. It lingered for a few seconds. When she pulled back, she had tears in her eyes and moved to where her head was on his chest and they were laying completely on top of him. Their legs were intertwined and he wrapped both arms around her, like someone may try and take her away. _

_"A plan. I want a plan."_

_Will felt a rush of relief wash over him. "The plan is: I love you."_

_I love you_ wasn't enough and they both knew that. Their plan was more than _I love you_. Their plan was care and involved a level of secrecy that Alicia wasn't sure how she felt about. There had to be no doubts. There wasn't a lot she was sure of but she knew she loved Will and she knew that even if she spent the rest of her life rebuilding what she and Peter used to have it could never compare to what they had before, and even that couldn't compare to what she had with Will.

Alicia's arms came around Will as she stood with her cheek against his bare back. He was so warm.

"Danni's still sleeping, but she doesn't really look comfortable. She'll probably be up in a while," Alicia told him as she closed her eyes. She could maybe fall asleep standing if he was there to hold her.

Will narrowed his eyes in thought as he continued making breakfast. "I'm not looking forward to dealing with the insurance for Dan's car. Kalinda already told me it's totaled when she stopped by to bring you a change of clothes."

Alicia shivered as she shook her head. "I really don't think I want to see the car. I think it will make everything more real."

Will hummed and turned around to take her in his arms. She smiled as he kissed her lips and gazed down on her. "Good morning," he said softly.

"Good morning," she giggled.

"'Morning," Danni yawned walking, well limping, into the kitchen rubbing her eyes, making her parents jump apart. "Can I have an oxycodone for breakfast?"

They're daughter had a unique way of breaking the tension. Alicia walked over to her daughter, temporarily forgetting what she was wearing. She examined Danni's face, gently holding it with both hands. "Well, it's not as swollen as yesterday." That may have been true, but the bruising was much worse. The red had turned to black and dark purple.

"Well, my face has its own heartbeat," Danni mumbled dryly. She pulled away from her mother and sat on the barstool, wincing at even that movement. "Everything hurts. Things that I didn't know could hurt hurt. Things that shouldn't hurt hurt!"

Will pushed a plate with a waffle on it toward Danni and she immediately brightened, at least a little bit. Alicia handed her the butter and syrup and watched the girl sigh contently. "Apparently being in a serious car accident has its perks," she said with a broad smile. As her eyes flashed to Alicia, there was something that changed in her expression.

For the first time that morning, Danni took in what her mother was wearing. Alicia felt her daughter study her and quickly pretended like she was overly interested in when her own breakfast would be done. She opened the fridge in hope of yogurt, hoping whatever her daughter was going to say she would have an argument for.

But she said nothing. She knew better.

She had stayed with her father for most of the week. Zach and Grace came over and watched a movie. Grace spent a lot of time with her sister while Zach spent most of his time avoiding Will. It was weird that his mother spent time in another man's apartment, but Danni had been oddly quiet.

On her first day back at her mother's apartment, Danni saw Peter in the kitchen making a pizza in the oven. Alicia was supportively standing behind her. He greeted her with a big smile that didn't reach his eyes when he glanced at Alicia. She had spent most of her time with Danni over the last week which meant she had spent even more time with Will than usual. Will had always been the competition.

Danni could sense the trouble coming. "Making two supreme pizzas, your favorite," Peter said as his eyes fell back to his step-daughter.

"Thanks," she replied with a tired look.

Alicia was surprised by her daughter's passiveness at his blunt ignorance. "Peperoni is her favorite," she told her husband blandly. "She hates supreme. Supreme is _your_ favorite."

Peter's face fell. "I thought-"

"Grace is the one that likes supreme," Danni replied with a bit of a shrug, not caring so much. It was something she really had gotten used to over the last several days. "It's okay."

Alicia didn't feel it was. "We'll order another pizza."

"What?"

Two voices said the word, one in surprise and the other in disbelief.

Alicia had seen it happen too many times. She was tired of Danni coming in last place in this house. She had nearly lost her daughter. The last week, she had seen how a father would treat her daughter and how it was not Danni's strong personality that pushed Peter away but rather protected her from him.

_Danni sat down next to her mother, on the side that was furthest from Peter. Grace was sitting on her father's lap and Zach was wedged between his parents, anxious for the movie to start. Danni was ten, but she acted more like fourteen. She had an attitude about her, but it wasn't necessarily disrespectful. It was more along the lines of determined. _

_Movie night had always been a tradition in the Florrick house. Peter would pick out a movie just for the kids and they would all watch it together. No one knew what the movie was until it began to play on screen. _

_"Oh! Dad took me to see this, Mom!" Danni said excitedly as the sight of the opening of Lilo and Stitch. _

_"Did he?" Alicia said with a smile that made Peter roll his eyes. _

_Danni nodded excitedly. "It's really good!"_

_"Well, be sure to stay quiet so the rest of us can watch it," Peter replied. It wasn't harsh really, but it did have a sort of edge that deflated Danni's excitement. She sunk back down into her mother's side. _

_While her siblings held commentary, Danni remained silent and tucked under her mother's arm. Her mood started to get better as the movie went on. During the high point of the movie, Danni was on the edge of her seat. "This is my favorite part!" she told her mother in a half whisper. "This is where they-"_

_"Danni, go to your room!" _

_Peter's outburst surprised both Alicia and Danni. Danni shot into the back of the couch and looked at Peter over her mother's shoulder. Alicia blinked at her husband. "What? Why? She's just excited."_

_"If she's going to tell us what happens she doesn't need to see the movie again," Peter responded bitterly, turning his attention back to the movie. Grace seemed undisturbed while Zach glanced between his parents. _

_"She's ten," Alicia said in disbelief. But Danni could feel that she was causing a problem. _

_"It's okay, Mommy," the girl mutter, the term _mommy_ showing she was more upset that she was trying to portray. "I did already see the movie."_

_Without another word Danni sank off the couch and headed toward her room. Alicia glared at her husband but that night had a conversation with Danni, explaining that she needed to be careful not to give away parts of movies that other people hadn't seen. What she didn't do was have a conversation with her husband about having patience with Danni._

_She never had to have that conversation about Zach and Grace. _

_She also never had to ask Peter to show an interest in Zach and Grace, or remind him of their birthday or that fact they had an event coming up. _

_Danni was not his priority._

"We'll order another pizza. It's no big deal. I know you hate olives."

Danni glanced at Peter who looked ready to argue. "No, it's okay," she said easily, not wanting to be the cause of another fight. "I'll eat whatever."

Alicia opened her mouth but Peter stepped it. "Okay, good. Sorry about that, Dan."

"No, we're ordering another pizza," Alicia said with finality.

Peter got quiet, staring at his wife before glancing at Danni. "Why don't you go talk to Grace and Zach for a minute while your mom and I talk?"

Danni knew when to leave, and this was a good time. Unfortunately, Zach and Grace were already leaning against the wall between the kitchen and the living room, remaining unseen. They both looked up at her as she slid down between them.

"They've been arguing on the phone all day," Grace whispered as Danni listened to their harsh whispers. "He's mad that Mom's been at Will's so much."

Danni wanted to remind everyone that Will wasn't just a person, Will was her dad, but at the moment she was sure that wouldn't help matters. "Mom and Peter just have a lot to deal with," she told her little sister, putting her arm around Grace's shoulders.

"Dad's already said he was sorry," Zach said with a sound of disbelief. "She needs to just forgive him already."

Zach's young mind didn't understand what Danni understood. He had never loved someone, or really saw what their mom was going through because of Peter. Sorry wasn't going to take back the humiliation or the fear of making rent. Sorry wasn't going to put their life back together. Saying sorry wasn't going to fix the fact that he broke her heart and her trust.

"You think Mom should just forgive him for tearing their-_our - _life apart?" Danni asked honestly.

Zach shrugged then looked at his big sister. "He forgave her for having you."

He probably didn't mean the words the way he said them, but suddenly Danni felt sick. She never thought of her existence as something anyone should apologize for, and that made her feel ignorant.

For a moment she glanced at Grace, as though hoping for her to say something to validate her thoughts, but Grace said nothing. Grace didn't even look up at her, like she had sensed nothing wrong with her brother's words. For a very long time, Danni had felt no shame in her bastard child status because she had two parents that loved her. Now she felt like she should apologize.

Did her mother apologize to Peter for her existence? She was sure her father never had. Will always introduced Danni with love as long as she could remember, but did Alicia apologize to Peter for having her before he came into her life?

Danni pushed off the wall and numbly walked back into the kitchen. Alicia and Peter cut their argument off in midsentence and glanced at her with some annoyance. "You can sleep in my bed if Grace is being too lou-"

"I wanna go back," Danni said revealing how wrong something was with the absence of emotion in her words.

Though Alicia didn't understand what her daughter was saying, she did understand something was wrong. She moved across the kitchen and notice that Danni's face had paled, even her lips were a whitish color and she was shaking.

"You need to lie down," Alicia said immediately, moving her back toward the living area to take her to her bedroom, but Danni pushed her off.

"I wanna go back to Dad's," Danni said firmly. "Or somewhere. I don't- I can't be here."

Alicia nodded though she didn't really understand. "Okay, I'll drive you."

"No!" Danni pushed her away again. "I'll take a cab- or-or I'll call him. He can pick me up."

"Danni," Alicia said softly noticing a glisten to her daughter's eyes. She was so confused by what had brought this on.

Zach suddenly appeared in the kitchen. "I didn't mean to make you cry," he said quickly as Danni moved toward the door, ignoring them all. She hadn't even taken her coat off when she came in. She was still very read to leave.

Alicia glanced at her son, but the sound of the door opening and shutting kept her from asking questions. "You made her cry?" Alicia asked very confused. It was hard for anyone to make Danni cry, but it seemed impossible for something that Zach said to cause that reaction. It was like Danni couldn't even look at her mother.

"He said," Grace appeared behind him, "that you should forgive dad because he forgave you."

Even Peter seemed a little confused by that one. "What did I forgive your mom for?"

Both kids looked at them like they were crazy. "For Danni. Because she's here."

For maybe the first time in their lives, both Peter and Alicia were aware of what they had shown their children. That had made Danni look like a mistake, something unwanted. To them, she was the entire reason their parents had every fight, every argument, every disagreement. Though they loved her, it was obvious that their parents held different feelings toward her.

"I have to-" Alicia said pointing at the door.

Peter nodded. "Yeah."

Without another word, Alicia followed her daughter while Peter looked at his two children. "You think I forgave your mother for Danni?"

Both Zach and Grace shrugged.

He realized that the real problem with their marriage may have been that he never really did.

_**Please review!**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Real life is really crazy with school, my job, and now I'm also writing for the campus newspaper. I'm trying to update as fast as I can, but I really hope you all enjoy this chapter!**_

Alicia caught her daughter standing in front of the elevator, staring dumbly at the meter above the door saying what floor it was on. At first, she reached out to her, but then decided it was best not to touch her. Danni had always been a child that adored affection, but if she needed to refrain, then it was understood.

She wasn't sure where to start. There was so much she wanted to say at once and she didn't have a plan when she followed her daughter out the door. There was a general idea of talking to her daughter, having the conversation that she never needed Peter's permission to have her and that Danni was a just as loved at Zach and Grace. Perhaps it would be best if she started with the apology.

"I'm sorry," Danni whispered.

Alicia froze as she glanced at her daughter. That was her line. A very unsophisticated "huh?" tumbled out of Alicia's mouth as she looked at her daughter in disbelief. "Okay, sweetheart, if there was ever a time for you to apologize, now would not be it."

But Danni didn't say anything else. She just kept waiting on the elevator. Her silence was not an answer that Alicia needed. Alicia need Danni to understand. "Do you hear me, Danni? This is not you. This is my fault. You are not the one that's supposed to be sorry," Alicia said firmly, following her daughter into the elevator as the doors opened. Thank God it was empty. The last thing Alicia needed was to deal with another media "Florrick Family" insight.

The pained facial expression graced Danni's feature for a split second and Alicia wanted to slap herself. Obviously she was going the wrong way about this. She pulled the emergency stop button and stood in front of her daughter, willing her to look her in the eyes. "You are not a mistake to be apologized for. I am sorry that I ever let you feel that way, I'm sorry for the way I let Peter treat you. You are-"

Alicia searched for the right word. Patient? After all Danni had spent most of her lip biting her tongue to keep her mother happy. Amazing? She did hold her head up high and love her siblings like they were not step-siblings like Peter had sometimes corrected her. Beautiful? Because she was deep and passionate and her beauty was more than just skin deep.

"Perfect," Alicia said with a breath. Her hands cupped her daughter's face. "You are completely perfect."

Those dark eyes looked up at her mother and suddenly the floodgates broke. She fell into Alicia's arms and shook with tears. She was still in pain from her wreck but she needed to be held. She needed love right then and she was falling apart at the seams. For so long she had held her mother together with the sacrifice of her youth and sanity, and now she need someone to validate her existence.

It was something that most people couldn't understand. It would have probably been easier for her parents to have terminated the pregnancy. Law school was rigorous and stressful. The years as junior associates were worse and then when Will made partner. Danni was a logical person as much as she was creative. Many liberal lawyers in a competitive law school wouldn't have thought twice about the option.

It didn't help that Danni was tired from pain and she was more emotional than usual. "They're right, Mom." Her head was on her mom's chest as she choked on tears.

"No," Alicia said firmly. "They're children who come up with ideas."

"I want to stay at Dad's," Danni mumbled.

The Good Wife

Things grew heavier in every aspect of her life. Danni could feel people thinking when they looked at her. At school, she was used to it, but at home it was harder. It was like people were expecting her to crack and she wasn't going to. She was in physical therapy for her shoulder and neck from whiplash. Even though it had been nearly three weeks since her accident, she was still in pain a majority of the time. There was no basketball with her dad, no running, and her schedule was often interrupted with ice or heat applications.

She felt like she was going mildly insane because of it all. It was hard to ignore it all. She had stayed with her father every night since the accident, but she did spent timed at her mom's just not overnight. In a way she felt badly about it.

As Danni walked into the firm, she was greeted like a long lost friend. She hadn't been there since her accident, but it was only a week and a half ago. Her sling kept people from pulling her into hugs and she was glad she was right handed. Diane was the one person that wasn't worried about the sling and brought her into her arms and smothered her favorite not-niece with kisses.

A dramatic groan made Will laugh as Danni tried to wiggle out of Diane's grip. "I just came to talk to Mom!"

"I'm hugging you because I'm grateful you're alive. Let me hug you," Diane said ignoring Danni's struggles. Alicia had appeared in the doorway with a file in hand and had to cover her mouth with the fire to keep from laughing.

Will slid her an equally humored look as Diane pulled away and used Danni's good arm to pull her around the desk. Danni smiled, knowing exactly what that meant. Presents! Diane always got the best (and most expensive) presents for Danni and with Christmas being in a couple days, Danni knew whatever it was had to be good.

Alicia almost dreaded it as much as Danni loved it. The gifts were beyond beautiful and expensive. They were something she couldn't give Danni. She had three kids and a house payment even before Peter lost his job, now she really couldn't afford gifts like Diane gave her. She knew that Danni tried to hide the gifts at her dad's house, but Alicia knew what was going on.

"Ooo!" Danni a new handbag to her chest. It was _rag & bone_ which meant it had to be close to a grand. Sometimes Alicia forgot what Will had to make also being a name partner. Obviously enough to buy their daughter a BMW and have a "weekend car" and a work SUV. She also knew that he was planning on buying Danni a new car.

"There's a new wallet in there too. Consider it an early Christmas present and a delayed _I'm Glad You Survived_ gift all in one. David Lee also brought you something," Diane pulled a mason jar out of a drawer in her desk and offered it to Danni.

"Homemade apple butter. How thoughtful. It is my favorite," she said, accepting the preservative and immediately opening it. She dipped her finger in and then popped it in her mouth. She hummed in delight. "It is good."

"All I ever get is terrible popcorn," Alicia mumbled to Will making him smirk. Apparently he knew just how awful.

The ever large big brown eyes looked over at her Mom with a big smile. It was a smile she didn't see when she was at her apartment anymore. No one was staring at her, waiting for her to fall apart here.

"Like it?" Danni asked modelling the bag fashionably.

Before Alicia could answer, Will's secretary poked her head in. "Danni, you have a phone call in Kalinda's office, Will your one o'clock is here, and Alicia the lawyers for the settlement are here."

Will glanced at Alicia as Danni said one last thank you to Diane before heading out the door with her parents right behind her heading in opposite directions.

Peter shot his step-daughter a warning look as they walked into the church. Danni was known for having her mother's tongue and her father's tact. It wasn't something he needed when he planned on making a good impression at Pastor Isaiah's church. He led his family into the building. Zach and Grace were behind him and then Danni and Alicia.

Lately, he had to be careful with the way he acted with Danni. He had to be more careful with how he acted around Danni lately. Alicia had become over-protective of her oldest daughter as of lately. Alicia had been more difficult to live with since Danni stopped staying at their home. She was fine to Zach and Grace, but it was no secret that she held even more hostility than usual to Peter.

It was causing him even more strain on their marriage. It was a conversation that she was will to have. They both knew it was a conversation that would take more than an "I'm sorry" to make right.

Danni was taking in everything about the church as they approached the pastor. She stayed close to her mother. Her hair was in curls and her coat was draped over her shoulders do to her left arm in a sling.

"Mrs. Florrick," Pastor Isaiah said warmly, offering Alicia his hand. "Thank you for visiting." He then turned to greet Peter.

"Pastor, this is Zach and Grace," Alicia introduced, then nudged her oldest daughter up too. "And Danni."

The pastor offered them all warm smiles and shook his hand. When his eyes fell on Danni, he was obviously confused, but was polite enough not to say anything. Maybe Peter had prayed for Zach and Grace before and not Danni, maybe he had mentioned them in the struggles and in what he regretted. Whatever it was, Danni was once again a foreign object in this life.

As they sat together in the pew, Grace seemed very interested in what the Pastor was saying while Zach seemed bored. Both Alicia and Danni were listening in the way people listen to stories old people tell. It may be interesting, but there was some hum to it that made them increasingly tired. Peter… Peter seemed distracted.

Suddenly, he stood, whispering something to Alicia and headed off toward the back of the church. Danni followed her mother's gaze and saw Peter disappear through a door. Before she could ask any questions, Alicia diverted her gaze back to the preacher, but her mind was quite obviously on something else.

Minutes passed and there was still no return. Alicia tapped Danni's leg. "I'll be right back," she whispered and Danni nodded.

She watched her mother follow in the direction Peter had left in.

As Alicia rounded the corner she saw the man that Will had been talking to a few days earlier in his office. Kozco. He had asked her to deliver a message to her husband and she had. It was a simple apology that seemed to shake Peter, his lawyer, and Mr. Gold. Apparently the man had something on Peter that wasn't good. Either way, Alicia was beginning to realize just how corrupt her husband was.

Kozco stumbled out of the door, his button down shirt ripped open and his appearance was as disgruntled as the nervous sounds he was making in an attempt to escape. Peter appeared from a stairwell doorway, straightening his jacket and met Alicia's eyes.

She just stared at him for a second, the anger and distrust obvious in her eyes. If she wasn't so polite, she would have escorted her children out right then and there, but she didn't want to make a scene either.

Her face was tight and guarded as she turned around to return to the pew, sitting down next to her oldest daughter. Danni could see that something was wrong, but she knew better than to ask in such a public setting and with Zach and Grace so close by. Instead, Danni offered her mother her hand, laying it palm up on her mother's thigh.

Alicia smirked a little at her daughter's perception and accepted the gesture of comfort. She gently squeezed her hand and rested her head against Danni's for just a second as though it was the closest thing they could have to a hug at the moment. For such a tough girl, Danni was definitely a lover.

The drive home was silent among other than casual conversation/argument between Zach and Grace that Danni would occasionally get dragged into by one of them asking for her input. When they arrived back the apartment, Alicia was surprised that Danni made no motion to leave. She sat in the kitchen, typing absently on her computer (without her sling), but not leaving. It was obvious that Danni was making herself a presence to keep whatever argument was on the tip of her mother and step-father's tongue.

Alicia came up behind her and looked over her shoulder at whatever she was working on. It looked like an article for her school newspaper over a class and teacher. She decided she probably didn't want to know since her daughter had a history of exercising her freedom of speech.

"Okay, so are you going to be a journalist, an investigator, or a lawyer?" Alicia teased, knowing her daughter was a little too seasoned in the law life for her own good. She would be a hell of a lawyer, honestly, but she was already a great investigator and her love for writing always had her working with her school newspaper.

"None of the above," she said easily without turning around, but gave nothing away.

Alicia kissed her daughter's cheek. "So when do I get to meet your secret boyfriend?" Alicia asked pointedly. The fact that she had a secret boyfriend was just as impressive as it was concerning to Alicia. After all, the girl was in high school, put it a lot of hours at the firm investigating, worked at the school paper, (normally) plays sports, and had weekly dinners with her parents. She was even at home a fairly impressive amount of time. It explained a few missing hours here and there, but Danni was busy a lot.

"When you and Dad can meet him together," Danni replied easily.

Alicia rolled her eyes playfully. "Well, that's certainly unfair. I'm the mom, I get first dibs." Then she leaned across the counter and eyed her daughter. "At least give me some details."

"His name's Travis."

That much she knew. "Okay, more than his name is Travis and his dad is a doctor," Alicia said pointedly.

Danni smirked a little, but didn't remove her gaze from the computer screen. Peter had appeared in the kitchen at the fridge. "His name is Travis Hawn. His mom is Teresa Hawn-"

She was interrupted by the sound of Peter choking and she gave him a confused look. Alicia also looked at him. As he cleared his throat, he turned to glare at Danni with an intensity that made her squirm a bit. "Teresa Hawn? You're dating Teresa Hawn's son?"

Danni glanced at her mother for help, but Peter shook his head. "Don't look at her, answer my question."

"Umm…" Danni hesitated, not expecting a fight. "Yes?"

Peter scoffed and glared at her. "You would do this. Is your goal in life to ruin me?"

Alicia blinked at her husband and was about to say something when he stepped closer to Danni. "What? Did your dad set you up? Teresa Hawn in the face of the Illinois republican party! How will that look when my campaign launches? My _step_-daughter dating a high class republican family?"

Danni was no longer going to be passive. She pushed back her chair and glared at him. "Not that it's any of your business but Travis is the president of Teen Democrats Club and my _dad_ has nothing to do with this."

Peter rolled his eyes. "You dad has everything to do with this. You're disrespectful, manipulative, and act like you're entitled to something, traits you definitely share with your father."

"Peter!" Alicia snapped in disbelief. She knew an argument had been building for a while but she had no idea it would take this direction.

"Disrespectful? You mean when I bite my tongue every time you snap at me? By manipulative I bet you mean by going to my mom when something happens. I've never asked her to go against you, even once. And _entitled_? That's rich coming from Jackie's son." Danni turned and closed her computer, gathering it in her arms. "You've always had something against me and I can't help it. I've dealt with it, but you know what? I'm sick of it." Her face was turned red with fury as she took another step toward him. "My dad showed more kindness to Zach and Grace in the few hours they were at our apartment than you ever showed to me. That's respect. That's respect for another man's child, something you've never had for me."

Peter held his hands up. "You're a kid, you act like I owe you something."

A cold laugh crackled from Danni's lungs. "You owe me an apology for fifteen years as being treated like I did something wrong." Then Danni turned to her mother who looked mortified and unsure of what to say. She was plainly angry, but wasn't sure where to begin. "If my husband did to me what Peter did for you, would you be asking me to keep trying to fix it?"

Her words hit Alicia like a ton of bricks before her daughter headed for the front door.

"You need to control your daughter," Peter stated matter-of-factly as the door closed behind Danni. "You don't hear Zach or Grace talking to me like that."

Alicia's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe what he had just said. "Are you kidding me?" she hadn't meant to yell, but she had and now she couldn't stop. "I've never heard you talk to Zach or Grace in the way you've been talking to her since she was little! The fact is, she's my daughter, and that means if you respect me you have to respect her."

"You-"

"No!" Alicia cut him off fiercely. "You've been a great dad to our kids, but you've never even been a role model for mine. News flash, she and I are a package deal."

Peter stared at his wife for a long time. "I don't think this marriage is working-"

Alicia stomped forward. "No! You don't get to say that. You don't get to pretend like this is both our faults because it isn't. This is you. These are your problems. You slept with a hooker, you were the one that screwed your position as State's Attorney. You were the one who wouldn't accept my daughter. I am the hurt party here and don't you ever pretend that you're just as injured. You made your bed." Alicia grabbed her car keys and shot one last look at Peter. "And now you can sleep in it. _Alone_."

As she walked toward the family room she walked toward her children's rooms. "Zach, Grace. Pack a bag. We're leaving."

When Danni arrived at her dad's, he greeted her with a quick kiss to the cheek. "Hey, I set up the guest room for Zach and put some extra blankets in your room for Grace."

She blinked at him. "What?"

Apparently Danni was not informed. Will took a deep breath and walked his daughter deeper into the apartment. "Your mom's coming over. She left Peter."

_**Bum-bum-bum! Please review. Also, if there is any scene you guys particularly want to see, I'd be glad to take it into consideration when writing my next chapter. **_


	10. Chapter 10

Alicia walked toward her bedroom, pulling out her suitcase and grabbing clothes without really looking at what she was grabbing. She was smart enough to grab a few suits and hang them on the door handle to grab when she went.

Grace and Zach both barged into her room. "What? Where are we going?" Grace demanded.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying with Dad!" Zach argued crossing his arms defiantly.

Alicia's hot glare shot up at her son. "You're going. It's not up for discussion. Pack a bag or you're wearing that to school tomorrow."

Zach turned around in a huff and stomped to his room while Grace still stood there nervously looking at her mother. "Where are we going?"

She sounded every bit like the little girl she was and it made Alicia's anger fade slightly as she looked up at her youngest standing in the doorway. It wasn't their fault. They didn't make Peter do what he did, and Alicia owed it to herself to be happy. One day her kids would understand that, even if it wasn't right then.

"We're going to stay with Danni and Will," Alicia said softly. "Just until I can think of something else."

Grace stepped closer to her mom as she glanced out the door into the kitchen where Peter was already on his phone heatedly talking to someone. Alicia pulled her daughter into a hug and kissed her hair. "It's because of Danni, isn't it?" Grace asked quietly.

"No," Alicia replied firmly, pulling her daughter back to look into her eyes. "It is not because of Danni. It's because sometimes things don't work out like we want them to and we have to go another way. Do you understand?"

Grace nodded and Alicia hugged her again. Alicia didn't want to turn her children against their father, but she also knew that she couldn't leave them there while she stormed off. The fact of the matter was her and Will's plan was kick starting a little ahead of schedule. In a way it made butterflies in her stomach, but it also made her panic. She needed something in her life to work out, it just bothered her that she was now rooting for her affair over her marriage.

No, she corrected herself. She wasn't rooting for her affair. She was rooting for her family. She was rooting for Danni and her father. She was rooting for love. Peter was no longer her family and he definitely wasn't love anymore.

As soon as Alicia arrives at Will's door, Danni is in her arms. It wasn't Danni seeking comfort but knowing that her mother was going to need a hug from someone who isn't wanting answers from her. Danni had no intention of asking any questions or stating any accusations, at least not for a while. There may be a few questions when Alicia was comfortable, but right now she was just going to offer her supportive love and presence.

Will could see the relief on Alicia's face as she returned the hug. Grace cautiously stepped inside the spacious living area while Zach stayed in the hallway, still looking furious with the situation. Grace needed to be reassured while Zach needed to be talked down. Danni had seen what Alicia needed and did not hesitate. Sometimes people just need a hug.

"Grace, you can go ahead and put your bag in Danni's room," Will instructed softly while Danni slowly stepped back from her mom, studying her features. "Zach, you can have the guest room, which is the third door on the right."

Zach said nothing as he pushed past his mother and sisters toward the hallway. Alicia sighed as she watched him go. Danni shot him a warning glare, irritated at his selfishness. He was fourteen, but this was hard. Did he really think he was the only one suffering? Still, Danni had a job to do as the oldest sibling right then.

"Why don't you pick out a movie and we'll watch it in my room?" Danni offered to Grace.

Alicia's heart swelled with pride as Danni tried to guard her siblings and allow her parent's time to talk. Danni's good arm slid over Grace's shoulders as they moved down the hall.

Will walked into the kitchen, pulling out a bottle of wine from the fridge and poured two glasses. In a way, he needed it as much as she did. Will Gardner was not used to a full house. Danni had never really behaved disrespectfully or had classic teenage tendencies of arguments. Alicia called him and sounded upset and scared and he offered his home. He wasn't regretting it, but he was realizing he didn't exactly think this through.

It was hard not to touch her and comfort her, but while Danni will turn a blind eye, Zach and Grace may not be as understanding.

Still, Alicia needed his comfort. She needed his touch and his arms around her body. She laughed a little as Will offered her a glass of wine. Obviously he knew her far better than she realized. His eyes studied her and promised that the moment he could trust there would be no interruptions, he would hold her until she was strong again. Until then, he would be strong beside her.

"I just walked out. He didn't try to stop me." Her voice was nearly a whisper as she looked into the wine glass. "He just called Eli."

Will seemed to think about this as he took a drink. As he swallowed and lowered the glass, he glanced at her. "Maybe he's gay. Eli is actually his secret gay lover."

Somehow, he managed to make her laugh and lean against him. He let one arm curl around her as she stayed there, listening to his heartbeat. The tears were in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall. The fact he didn't try and stop her defined how dead their marriage was. It wasn't just about hookers anymore. It was the fact he wasn't a family to her family. He couldn't get past the fact her daughter was not the enemy.

She would feel some sort of moral superiority if she hadn't started an affair with Will, but then again, if she didn't see how a father treated Danni she may have never stepped up. As the silence fell on them, she realized something. She didn't feel alone anymore. That standing in Will's kitchen after walking out of her apartment, leaving her husband with only what she and her kids could carry in a bag, was the least alone she had felt since the entire scandal arose. She felt stronger actually. She felt like the hardest part was over.

She may have felt that way at the moment, but she knew that wasn't true. The hardest part would be starting her new life with Will and her children. Zach would fight, she knew it. Grace may remain silent and resilient, but eventually she would choose her mother's happiness. Danni… Danni would try and fix every problem along the way.

"We'll be okay."

Alicia's gaze shot to Will's as his voice interrupted her thoughts.

"We'll be okay," he repeated, gently cupping her face with his free hand and looking into her eyes.

She nodded. "I know."

It wasn't time to do damage control or think up a plan on how to deal with tomorrow. At the moment, she just needed to believe that they would be okay. And she could do that, in Will's arms.

Danni sat next to Grace, listening to everything she had to say. Her chin quivered and tears rolled from her eyes as she admitted that she scared. They were all old enough to understand their mother's decision, but that didn't make it any less scary.

"She'll let us seem him right?" Grace asked, looking at her sister. There was something in the way that Grace looked at her that made her nervous. Grace truly believed that her sister knew all the answers be it the subject of calculus or life.

"I think so," Danni replied, offering her sister a gentle smile. "I always saw my dad."

Grace nodded as she thought about that. For a few moment they listened to the movie that was on the TV. They weren't actually paying attention to it, they both had too much running through their minds.

"Danni?"

Danni looked at her sister who had fresh tears brewing in her eyes.

"They're going to get a divorce aren't they?" Grace's voice shook and she tried so hard to prepare herself for the answer that no kid is actually prepared to hear.

Though Danni didn't know the answer for sure, she did believe it beyond a reasonable doubt. "I think they are," Danni replied honestly.

Grace nodded numbly before a sob shook her. All Danni could do was hold on. She wrapped her arms around her little sister's shoulders and held her as she cried. Danni wasn't scared like Grace was. In fact, Danni felt guilty. She felt horrible that something she had wanted was causing everyone she loved so much pain. No matter how she looked at it, she couldn't find herself faultless.

A little more than two hours after she arrived, Grace was asleep in Danni's bed. Danni tucked her in and took it upon herself to check on her little brother.

Quietly, she walked out her bedroom door and crossed the hall. The door wasn't locked, which surprised her, but as she walked in she found him laid out across the bed with his headphones so loud that she could hear the music. As she walked closer, she realized that he was also asleep. Tear streaks stained his cheeks and her heart broke all over again. He was fourteen, but he always tried to be the man of the house while his dad was in prison.

No one saw him cry.

She pulled a blanket out of the closet and laid it over him. They would be tough together. They would be tough for each other. They both had to be strong for Grace and their mom.

They could take it, they'd be okay.

As she dragged her feet toward the living room, emotional exhausted, much like her siblings, she sees her parents on the couch. Their backs were to her, but Will had his arm around Alicia's shoulders and she was resting against him. They looked comfortable. Probably too comfortable if she was honest with herself.

"Mom?" Danni whispered, poking her in the shoulder. Alicia jolted a bit and sat up, seeming almost confused about where she was. Will was still asleep next to her and she felt herself relax at the sight of him.

"Mom?" Danni repeated, just as softly. Alicia turned and was surprised to see Danni standing there in her pajamas. "Dad's room is set up for you."

Alicia hummed and nodded, confused about Danni's coyness about seeing her mother in her father's arms. She seemed to not care at all. "You should probably move incase Zach or Grace wakes up," Danni added, noticing her mother's hesitation. "I'll take care of Dad."

Alicia nodded and stood up. She took a few steps toward Will's bedroom but stopped to watch Danni. She gentle nudged him and smiled at him when he opened his eyes. "Lay down so you don't wake up with a crook in your neck," Danni told him.

He yawned as he laid down and Danni grabbed a pillow and a few blankets from the linen closet. She was used to him falling asleep on the couch when he was working hard on a case. He accepted the pillow as she draped the blankets over him.

"What would I do without you?" Will said as she kissed his forehead.

"Ice your neck from sleeping wrong and eat take out every night," Danni replied with a smile. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you more, kiddo," he replied tiredly. "Zach and Grace-?"

"Sleeping," Danni told him.

"Alicia?"

"Headed to bed. Go to sleep," Danni said with finality.

Alicia watched as Will pulled Danni into a tight hug and kissed her hair. "Good night," she said softly.

"Night, kiddo."

Danni moved around the couch and Alicia welcomed her into her arms. Danni gave her a comforting smile, but Alicia tapped her lip. "Quit that," Alicia told her daughter as they walked together toward the master bedroom.

"You're the kid," Alicia reminded her. "I'm the adult. It's my job to take care of you. I'm supposed to make you feel better, not the other way around."

Danni sat down on the bed while Alicia changed into her pajamas. "Can I-Can I just talk?" Danni asked carefully.

Alicia blinked as she turned around to look at her daughter. That was a unique question. One that she didn't like. "Of course you can," Alicia said sitting next to her.

The words didn't come like Danni wanted them to. She wanted to say how she felt, how she was worried and needed everything to work out. "Be careful," Danni said instead. "Everything is going to hit the fan and you're not going to be able to shield Zach and Grace from it all. I'm glad you did it, I'm glad you left, and I'm happy that you and Dad are-uh-_happy_. But-"

"Danni," Alicia cut her off. She put her hands over her daughter's. "Stop."

But Danni shook her head. "No, I'm glad you're happy and all, but I'm thinking about Zach and Grace-"

"And I am too," Alicia said firmly, maybe too firmly by the way Danni recoiled. "Honey, they're all I think about. Them and you. I wake up every morning and you all are my first thought and my last thought as I go to bed."

Danni knew this was true, and she moved into her mother's arms. "I think I'm scared," Danni muttered, realizing she didn't know how she felt at all. "You and Dad… I'm glad but… Zach and Grace…"

Alicia nodded in understanding. "We want to take things slow. I didn't plan on leaving Peter like I did tonight and no matter what's going on in your head, it's not your fault."

Danni nodded and once again slept against her mother's shoulder. Truth was, Alicia was scared too.

The Good Wife

"Danni-"

"Yes, I'm taking everyone to school," Danni replied tugging her cardigan over her head. "Grace has soccer, Zach's going straight home. I got it."

Will gave his daughter a reassuring smile and tugged her hair. "Good girl. Lunch money," he offered her some cash and she tucked it in her bag. Grace and Zach watched them while Alicia tried her best for some sort of normalcy. "You guys hungry?"

Zach and Grace both looked at him.

"No," Zach said sharply silencing his little sister with a glare.

"Me-me either," she said obviously lying.

Danni rolled her eyes. "We can stop somewhere if we hurry."

Alicia came rushing out of the bedroom running her fingers through her hair. Will greeted her with an easy smile that made Zach's blood boil and Grace nervous. Danni greeted her mother with a quick kiss before throwing her backpack on her shoulder and grabbing the car keys. "See you all later," she said wanted to get the hell out of dodge.

"Oh-" Alicia blinked in shock, it wasn't even seven yet.

"We're going to get breakfast on the way," Grace clarified for her, also kissing her mother's cheek.

"Oh-okay," Alicia said with a numb nod. She expected Zach to say something, but he didn't. Instead he just followed his sister out the door and left Alicia standing there.

She sighed and leaned into Will. He laughed a little as he wrapped her into a hug and kissed her forehead. "They'll be okay. They get mad, but they cool off. They're kids."

They were kids, but they were her kids. She was never good at being okay with her kids being mad at her. Honestly she sucked at it. Sure, she put on the tough face when she grounded them, but it was hard to bear the cold shoulders and the dirty looks. She like being the mom that cuddled with her children and had lots of movie nights. She did the hard stuff, but she didn't like it.

"Zach hates me, Grace is looking scared out of her mind and Danni-" Alicia exhaled and then let her head fall a little too hard against Will's chest knocking the breath out of him. She immediately reeled back to look back and apologize but he just smiled.

Damn, this man had to be a saint. He took her and her kids in without even asking a question. He was patient with her craziness and her kids even though they were definitely going to make it hard. He was her rock and she didn't deserve so much kindness. She let out a small laugh as she rested against him again.

"I think Danni gets her strength from you, and she's so strong," Alicia told him feeling like she couldn't get close enough to him. He kissed her lips and shook his head.

"That is where you're wrong, Leesh. All that strength Danni has came from you," he kissed her lips again, deepening the kiss to where she can feel it in her toes. There was a connection that was lacking and she was so grateful to feel from another human being.

"She knows, you know," Alicia told him as they broke apart for air. "She knows about us and she's worried about it. Danni's worried about everything and she's scare and I can't blame her."

Will leaned back and looked her in the eye. "What do you want to do?"

She almost panicked. He was offering her an out if only for the sake of their daughter, not in spite of. She looked at him and clung to him. "That means we have to be sure this works," Alicia told him.

He nodded. "Okay."

They released each other and Will grabbed his car keys. She noticed he flinched for some reason before he turned around and looked back at her with a guilty expression. "Oh… and my sister is coming this week."

**_Will's family? Oh no, right? Right. But we get to see big brother Will and maybe just what they need to get everyone on the same page. Oh, and an adorable niece._****_Please review. _**


	11. Chapter 11

_**So... Some new characters are being introduced in this chapter and I'm a little unsure about how I feel about this chapter...**_

The entire day, Alicia was in a panic. Katie was coming to visit and she hadn't seen her since… well she hadn't had a real conversation with her since Danni was born and Katie was only seventeen then. She had seen her at some of Danni's birthday parties when she was younger but other. Still, Katie was gorgeous. She was definitely where Danni got her curls from, and probably her high society taste in handbags. Though her kids were acting civil now (which she could probably thank Danni for) she wasn't sure how long living in such close quarters could go on.

She had been searching for a place, but money was tight already on her junior associate's pay. Will was being a patient saint and Danni was doing everything she could to keep her mother sane, but the fact of the matter was, she needed to get everything out in the open.

"Will and I are seeing each other," Alicia spit out as she sat on Will's coffee table across from Zach and Grace.

Much to her surprise, neither of them reacted. Alicia tossed a glance at Danni who gave nothing away. "I know this is a lot to take in at once, with your dad and me, and the current living arrangements and all-"

"You're happy, right?" Zach asked. He had been surprisingly kind over the last couple days. He was still obviously frustrated, but he seemed to be working through it. He wasn't much into sports, but he would join Danni and Will on the couch to watch the game and did some of his homework in the kitchen instead of being trapped in his room.

Alicia blinked at him. That shouldn't be a difficult question. Was she happy? No, not particularly. She had too much going on to just be happy. After all, is anyone really, truly happy? If there were really, truly happy people in this world, she would like to meet them. Actually no, she takes that back, they would probably just annoy her with their overly happiness.

"With Will, I mean," Zach added, staring at her mother like she was crazy. Obviously she had way too much on her mind at the current moment to even appear sane.

"He makes me happy, yes," Alicia replied carefully.

"And Dad?" Grace asked softly, testing her words. She was the tenderhearted one out of the group. Sometimes things needed to be told to her gently.

"Dad and I both love you very much, but things just weren't working out anymore," Alicia replied. It was enough of the truth. She really didn't need to go into how Peter was a lying cheater and a corrupt politician, or the fact that they couldn't keep pretending that the way he treated her or Danni was okay.

Then she looked at all of her children, her eyes lingering on her oldest daughter for just a moment longer. "But none of you are to blame and it has nothing to do with any of you. Your dad loves you and I won't keep you from him."

"What about the campaign?" Zach asked.

"That's your father's business, not ours," Alicia replied calmly.

There was the sound of the door opening and all four heads turned to see a woman, tall and thin, walk in. It was definitely Katie. She had only gotten more beautiful in time, and she looked as gorgeous as ever in her winter dress with black tights and a long coat. Her eyes were as bright blue as Will's were dark brown and they lit up the moment they landed on Danni.

"Well, hey there pumpkin!" Katie did not hesitate for a second before grabbing her niece and pulling her into a tight hug. "You just keep getting prettier."

He words sounded tired and now that Alicia could get a good look at her face, Katie looked tired.

"Aunt Katie, this is my sister Grace and my brother Zach," Danni introduced with a big smile and no hesitation at all.

By the look on her sibling's faces, they were once again in awe in how little they actually knew about this side of her sister's life. It was like she was everyone's favorite niece or had some superstar pseudo relative that was much too happy to claim her in their wealth. Their life before wasn't exactly modest, but Danni's life was definitely more glamorous.

Katie stepped away from Danni to size up Zach first. "Definitely a strong young man," she said as though he told her everything just by the way he looked. "Smart, protective, and handsome." She tapped his chin with a smirk. "I like you, you should stick around."

Alicia bit her lip to hide the humor at Zach's bewildered expression. It was becoming clear that Katie's habit of marching to her own drummer hadn't changed a bit. When she looked at Grace her expression lit up her face. "You are just a darling!"

Grace looked slightly alarmed when the near stranger pulled her into a hug that about knocked the wind out of her.

"Hello, Katie," Alicia said warmly, already standing up to hug the woman like an old friend. "You've grown up."

"If you want to call it that," Will mumbled from the door, dropping a bag to the floor and hosting a small child higher on his hip. Danni was at his side in an instant, claiming the toddler.

"Rue!" Danni said happily snuggling the baby. "You've gotten so big!"

The toddler grinned and hugged Danni's neck. "I missed wu," Rue told her cousin, looking at her and laying her tiny hands on Danni's cheeks. One hand moved to Danni's mouth and Danni pretended to munch on it.

Alicia felt a warmth wash over her as she watched. "She just turned two," Katie told Alicia as she pulled her into a hug like an old friend. "You look great, Miss Georgetown."

A blush appeared on Alicia's cheeks from the old nickname. She hadn't heard that term since she graduated. It reminded her that she finally ended up where everyone though she would the day people found out about Danni. She was finally where she wanted to be back in those days. As she relaxed into the hug, Alicia realized there was a brittle feeling about her. Like if she hugged her too tight she may break.

Before she could think too much about it, Katie released her and looked around the apartment. "You weren't kidding about the close living quarters. I'm starting to be thankful that I got a hotel."

Will rolled his eyes good naturedly at his sister before awkwardly clapping his hands together. "I really don't mean to drop you off and go but Diane's been up my ass about the current… um… situation." He looked at Alicia and noticed she too was exhausted from trying to find a middle ground. "I promised her I would meet with her tonight."

Danni looked alarmed as she turned around and looked at him. "Are you coming to dinner with us?"

He let out a sigh and shrugged. "As of right now, I don't know," he said honestly.

"But Travis was coming to dinner," she said quickly.

Both Will and Alicia looked at their daughter in shock who blushed a little. "He sorta asked, and I didn't want to mention it… yet."

Katie let out a small laugh as Alicia shook her head. "And when were you going to mention it?"

"When we were getting ready for dinner," she replied honestly. "I really didn't want to be harped on about it. Plus, it seemed like a good night; Katie would make sure you don't embarrass me too much."

Will ran his hand over his face. Okay, sometimes it sucked to have daughter that was a little too damn smart. "Okay, then Diane is coming to dinner too. All we need is Owen it's basically the entire extended family," Will muttered dryly. "I'll rent a room at Le Gourmet."

"It's already five o'clock," Alicia reminded him mentally running through the contents of his kitchen on what she could make in a short time that would measure up to her daughter's boyfriend and her boss.

"It's okay, Lulu will take care of it," Danni said with a wave of her hand.

Okay, obviously, Alicia really needed to get used to this other life. Peter had friends to this for him, he didn't personally know the restaurant workers and he rarely treated them to such opportunities. Grace looked mildly excited while Zach was unable to hide his own curiosity. Katie put her arm around Danni's shoulders and smiled.

"Please tell me whoever Travis is, he's cute and your dad will hate him," Katie whispered as Rue slid out of Danni's arms and walked curiously up to Alicia.

Alicia had always loved children, but as she looked down at Rue tugging lightly on her skirt she was surprised by how much she looked like a young Danni. Same curly hair, big brown eyes, but her skin was darker. She had her mother's full lips even at a young age and seemed a little less social than Danni was at her age.

"Hi," she said softly as Alicia kneeled down to her level.

"Hi," Alicia repeated with a smile, pushing some of the curls out of her face. Katie's face lit up.

"She doesn't normally speak to new people," Katie told her, obviously impressed.

Rue looked at Alicia gently questioning. "Danni's momma?"

Alicia nodded and the girl seemed to take that as enough information to wrap her arms around her neck and make it obvious she wanted to be held. Katie shoulders relaxed as her daughter rested against Alicia. Whatever the reason, she seemed happy to see her daughter accept Alicia. After a moment, she looked back at Danni.

"Can I borrow your bed for a couple hours, kiddo? It's been a long day," Katie asked looking every bit as tired as she sounded. "Alicia?" The older woman looked over at her. "Will you watch Rue for a little while? I'm afraid I'm just not used to traveling with a toddler."

There was a weak laugh and Alicia couldn't say no. The child had already taken to her and it was a little too nice to have a small child in her arms again. She hated that her hormones started working as Grace leaned in to look at Rue too.

"Sure. She acts like she may fall asleep too," Alicia replied pulling back to get a look at the little girl's face.

"No, no!" Rue said shaking her head against Alicia's shoulder, apparently it was too heavy to lift. "No sweepy…" she mumbled.

"Oh, okay," Alicia said offering a smile to Katie as she numbly dragged her feet toward Danni's bedroom. Something didn't seem right and Alicia couldn't quite put her finger on it. She may have not known Katie all that well, but what she remembered of her was an overly energetic girl who couldn't be held down.

Will leaned closer to Alicia, resting his hand on her lower back and looking at his niece. He cared very much about Rue and there was just something about Alicia holding a little girl that made him move protectively closer. He almost kissed her cheek, but he knew the other kids were not comfortable with their affections yet.

Danni wouldn't mind, but Grace would probably blush while Zach would avert his eyes. Danni had suggested them to be supportive, reminding them how much their mother had sacrificed over the last year and she honestly seemed happy now that she had Will.

Katie actually slept right up until Danni got ready for dinner and she even had to wake her up. Katie was sluggish and seemed a little on edge. She even asked if Danni could get Rue ready for dinner.

As they arrived at the restaurant, Diane was already waiting for them at the hostess stand along with a young man. Immediately Will and Alicia exchanged looks as Danni smiled at him. He didn't look like a teenage boy, he looked like a young man. A little too old for their little girl.

Diane even raised an eyebrow as Danni moved next to the boy and smiled almost pointedly at her parents. "Mom, Dad, this is Travis. Travis, Alicia Florrick and Will Gardner."

Without hesitation, Travis stepped up and offered his hand to Will first. "It's nice to finally meet you, Mr. Gardner, Mrs. Florrick."

"You're… older than I thought you would be," Will stated bluntly as he shook his hand.

Danni gawked at him. "Dad!"

But Travis just smiled. "I'm twenty, sir."

"And my daughter is seventeen." Danni could see her father pulling the overprotective dad card and she was inwardly begging him to put it back in his pocket. "It's consider statutory-"

"Dad!" Danni cried covering her face with her hands as her face turned red with embarrassment. Even Alicia sent him warning look as Diane tried to hide how funny she found it all. Little did he know, he was gaining points with Zach and Grace.

They hadn't been around a father figure in nearly a year and it was reassuring to see someone protective over one of them. Even it was embarrassing Danni, it was still oddly reassuring. Katie on the other hand came to Danni's aid.

"I'm Katie," she said quickly. "And I'm sure you've heard about Zach and Grace."

"And I'm Diane," the older woman stepped up, also willing to save the poor girls dignity before her father tossed her into the well.

"Oh God, please just stop. We should just eat," Danni groaned grabbing Travis's arms and flashing the hostess a weak smile. "Reservations for Gardner."

Travis laughed good-naturedly as Danni nearly dragged him toward the room they would be having dinner in. Travis put his hand on Danni's arm calming her and kissing her cheek in a way that made her blush.

Alicia watched. Danni was very private. She compartmentalized her life, much in the same way Alicia did. That's why it was no surprise to her when Danni put a little more space between her and her boyfriend. She proved herself very much her mother's daughter. Though she had no serious boyfriends when she was Danni's age, she didn't like showing affection to Peter when they were dating, in front of his mother or her parents. She was… proper.

For some reason she had a feeling that her daughter wouldn't quite take that as a compliment.

As soon as they all entered the room, the group seemed to split up. Danni and Travis talking in one corner while Will and Diane talked in another. Katie nudged Alicia lightly, offering her a smile.

"He's cute," she commented nodding at Travis who was obviously trying to convince Danni that everything was fine. "He seems to really care about her."

"She's young for that," Alicia replied with a bit of a sigh. Danni was young for that look. It was concerning that Travis seemed so obviously in love with her. There was nothing wrong with the boy, in fact he seemed like a polite young man.

"She's a teenager. Love happens," Katie said almost nonchalantly.

Diane scoffed at Will. "Love happens? You realize that you currently have the ex-States Attorney's wife is living in your apartment with her kids. One of those kids just happens to be yours." She took a deep breath. "Look, she's a great lawyer, but when I okayed you bringing her on it was because you said you had a good relationship. It was healthy and distant."

Will let out a breath as he looked over at Alicia talking with her sister. He loved her. He couldn't help it. What they were doing finally felt right even if it wasn't ideal timing. "She's proved herself and Cary-"

"Cary loses his job because Alicia is sleeping with her boss?" Diane challenged being sure to keep her voice low.

"And if we weren't together would you be willing to lay off your favorite niece's mother?" Will challenged. "We both know Alicia was never actually in competition. Cary fought well, but Alicia's still a hell of a lawyer and she deserves to be a part of our team."

Diane thought over his words. Of course he was right. He proved his case. He would, he was a damn good lawyer. "We have to do some damage control. This could blow up in our faces." She then pointed at Will and looked over at Alicia. "She better be worth it."

Will smiled. "They all are."

"They all are," Danni said with seriousness. "They're all crazy. I swear. I'm the only sane one in this room. Please ignore everything my father said, says, thinks, almost thinks… And my mother! Listen, she's a saint. I love her. But she gets very mother bear-"

Travis shushed her and grinned at her. "Dan, families are crazy. You've experienced my crazy. I can handle yours."

She relaxed a little and gave him a weak smile. "You are way too good for me."

He laughed and put his arm around her waist as he led her to the table. Travis was way too good. They had been seeing each other for over six months and he had dealt with her distance and making time on her schedule. He was great. If she was honest with herself, she loved him. The fact was she didn't want to be that honest.

"So, Travis," Will began shortly after their food had arrived. "Are you in school?"

The boy nodded. "Yes. I'm a chemical engineer major."

"And his father is a doctor and his mother is a republican," Danni said quickly, looking pointedly at her dad.

"Dan, it's okay," Travis told her softly, noticing how she tensed at his questioning. "I'm not afraid of interrogation."

"You should be, they're lawyers," Danni muttered, making almost everyone at the table smirk.

Will wanted to do his part to intimidate his daughter's boyfriend but Alicia was keeping him in line and Zach seemed to be talking to him about computers and videogames. The rest of the table was rooting for him and Will needed to jump on the bandwagon.

Katie didn't seem to have much of an appetite while Rue munched on bread. She tapped Alicia's hand. "Can you look after her for just a moment, I need to run to the restroom."

Alicia nodded, noticing the lack of color in Katie's features. "Would you like me to come with you?"

"No-no," Katie said quickly already pushing her chair back. "Just… Rue, okay?"

Alicia nodded, but was quickly putting together that something was wrong, very wrong, with Will's baby sister.

_**Please review!**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**You really think I'd leave Sara and Aubrey out? **_

Danni took a deep breath as Sara strutted past her into the living room. It was seven in the morning. She moved like a woman on a mission, only to be thrown off by the oddly full house Will seemed to have.

He nearly choked on his cereal when he saw his sister stopping Alicia in midsentence and Zach and Grace staring at the woman with hesitant curiosity. Sara raised a brow at her brother after taking in the sight. "I see that someone else has been keeping secrets, huh William?"

"William?" Grace giggled as she exchanged looked with Zach who seemed equally humored. Will shot a smirk at them before narrowing his gaze at his older sister. Sara had a way of royally pissing him off with her controlling ways that often included reorganizing his kitchen. Most of the time he just let it roll off, but it wasn't an ideal time in his life for her to pop in for a visit.

"A little warning next time?" Will asked his daughter as she clearly looked guilty.

"Sorry, but she's smart enough to stand out of the way of the peep hole," Danni mumbled as she walked over to her mother, almost like she was willing to shield her from any blows Sara was ready to fire at him.

Sara was not an Alicia fan. In many ways Sara saw Alicia as someone who trapped her brother. It she was honest, she knew it wasn't true, and Alicia had asked very little of Will and everything Will had done had been voluntary. When she came to visit she often critiqued Danni in a way that she thought her mother should. Most comments had to do with her unruly hair or the way she dressed.

"You know Alicia," Will introduced to his sister. "These are her other children: Zach and Grace."

"Hi Aunt Sara," Danni said carefully, offering her aunt a strained smile. Aunt Sara could be worse than Grandma Gardner…

Sara's eyes finally fell on Danni and she let out a little sigh. Though Sara could be intense, she had a big heart and she adored her niece. "Hi Danni," she said relaxing a little, making the entire room a little less tense.

"To what do we owe this lovely surprise visit?" Will asked as he took his bowl of cereal and the fold in Alicia's hands over to the bar where Zach and Grace were sitting. Danni stayed close to her mom.

"Why didn't you tell me Katie's visiting you? She has no business traveling right now! And with Rue!"

Will rolled his eyes. "Katie's almost thirty-five years old. She doesn't have to tell you and neither do I. she's an adult."

Sara rolled her eyes. "That's a term to be used loosely. She flew halfway across the country to see you, and in her condition."

"I don't think having a kid a condition," Will fired back.

Sara hesitated, looking a mixed between confused and sad. "So… she hasn't told you?"

Will shot his sister a look, but this time Alicia's intuition kicked. She moved toward Will and looked at Sara.

"Will, this isn't some joke," his sister snapped making Zach and Grace suddenly feel uncomfortable. Alicia put her hand on his arm earning his attention. Sara looked at him, her eyes softening in concern. "Katie's sick."

Alicia glanced down at her two younger children. "Why don't you two go get your backpacks?" That was code for _go to your rooms and stay there until I say otherwise_, and it was heard loud and clear. Danni stayed for the obvious reason of it was her family being discussed. Katie was Danni's godmother and though Danni wasn't really a kid anymore, she was still very close to her aunt.

"What do you mean she's sick?" Will repeated as Zach and Grace tried to get out of the room.

Sara stepped closer to Will as Alicia held tighter to him, as though assuring him that she was there. "Brain cancer."

The words hit him so hard it nearly knocked him off his feet. Katie was his baby sister, and probably his favorite. He was definitely her favorite and never afraid to admit it. Will let his weight fall into the couch and Alicia stood almost in front of him, wishing she could protect him. She had suspected something serious was wrong, but she allowed herself to go into denial. Katie was too young for that. She was thirty-four years old.

"She's fighting this, right?" Will asked, his voice feeling weak in his throat. His hand slid into Alicia's and she squeezed it reassuringly.

But Sara gave something barely more than a twitch of her head in the negative. "It's… very advanced."

"But… Rue."

Danni's words were obviously distressed and Will and Alicia both looked at her. Danni's protective personality had her completely distraught. Rue would be devastated. Danni was seventeen years old and she couldn't imagine her life without her mom, much less actually growing up without her. Rue's dad, Katie's husband, passed away right before Rue was born in a car accident.

"Rue…" Danni repeated looking at Sara for some explanation. "What about Rue?"

"She says she's made arrangements," Sara told her. "I assume she asked if you would take care of her last night?"

Alicia seemed surprised, but nodded. "She's still sleeping in Danni's room."

Sara hummed in acknowledgement. "Katie is afraid of being alone with her. She doesn't want anything to happen and Rue be alone."

The color in Danni's face was draining. Will stood again and opened his arms to her. The seventeen year old accepted her father's embrace as her mother comforted her with stroking her hair. Of course there were no tears in her eyes, but she was upset even in her strength.

"Why didn't one of you call?" Will asked his sister. "I assume Aubrey knows too."

"She insisted she would tell you. After all, it is her business and she always looked up to you." Sara rolled her eyes a bit as she shook her head. "It was like she thought getting cancer would make you think less of her. As ridiculous as it is."

Will bit his lip as Danni rested her head on his chest in both their comfort. "I'm sure she just didn't know what to say," Alicia tried. It was probably true. How do you tell someone you're dying?

Sara gave Alicia an appreciative look that had probably never been done in the history of their vague relationship. Maybe these two very strong, protective woman could become friends in the respect they both cared deeply for.

"I have to get to school," Danni said honestly, grudgingly knowing time was ticking away. "Especially if I have to take Zach and Grace."

Will nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Come by after school, okay?"

Danni nodded as she kissed her mom's cheek too.

"Katie's staying at the Hampton if you want to see her," Will told his sister. "I promised to take Rue to work with me since I don't have court today."

Sara nodded. "It's probably best if we keep those plans. That way I can hunt down our sister." She embraced her brother and then turned fondly to Alicia, somehow thanking her for taking care of Will.

As the apartment emptied of their children and Sara, Will and Alicia took the moment of silence to embrace. He kissed her lips in his own thanks for her support and she didn't want to let him go. They had moved past the need of words in their relationship. It was a time like this that they just held each other.

"My little sister's dying," he whispered, as though for the first time fully comprehending the weight of it all.

Alicia nodded as she felt her own eyes burn with the tears of his pain. "I know." Then she leaned back and looked at him. "But if Rue sees something wrong, she'll be upset too. You need to be the fun Uncle Will."

He laughed humorlessly and nodded. He just didn't like the idea of playing pretend that Rue wasn't going to be an orphan and he wasn't going to lose his sister.

But he did. He spent the day doing his job with Rue literally riding on his back and giggling in his ear when he tossed a comment her way. Women, be it his employees or clients, found it absolutely adorable.

The adorable two year old sat down on the top step, going down step by step on her bottom. Alicia and Will were talking at the bottom. From about the fourth step from the bottom, Rue stood up and opened her arms. "Catch?" Rue called earning Alicia's attention just before she jumped into her arms.

Alicia gasped and caught her instantly, but couldn't help the moment of terror that washed through her. Rue giggled as she wrapped her legs around Alicia's torso and clapped her hands. "Good!"

Alicia hugged the girl, grateful for her reflexes. "It's like having toddler Danni around. Zach and Grace were laid back compared to Danni."

Will rolled his eyes as other employees looked in on them. They drew a lot of attention. Before they were of interest as being Danni's parents. Before Alicia began working there, Danni's mother was a mythical figure to them, but now they realized they were actually friends. Maybe even more than that.

Of course, no one had any real basis for truth. Kalinda knew simply because Kalinda made it her business to know everything and Diane knew for the firm, but other than that it was nothing more than a rumor. Even with Will's niece going to the woman when she had made no attempt to even look at anyone else was not enough to draw the conclusion that they were sleeping together.

At the moment it was more than that even. They were living together. With her kids. Though it wasn't like any of it had been going on long, Alicia was a little uncertain of how things were going to turn out. The kids had seemingly turned a blind eye to her and Will staying in the same room, but Danni's light sleeper tendencies often made her resort to sleeping on the couch.

They had vaguely discussed the idea of a bigger place, but that would also mean permanently living together. It wasn't as though she could afford another place with already paying for Peter's rent. Will had offered paying for her a new place if that's what she wanted, but she couldn't accept that.

"It's probably why she likes you so much. She loves Danni," Will told her with a smile. "Danni used to drive Sara crazy. She constantly told me that I needed to be stricter with her to keep her from being so daring."

"Yes. Sara is not a fan of Danni's either… I recall every visit from Sara," Alicia told him with a look displaying just how pleasant Danni was afterward.

"As bad as it sounds, I like having Danni around when Sara visits. Diverts the attention away from me," Will told Alicia as he walked with her to her office. Rue was playing with the ends of Alicia's hair as they walked.

"Isha?" Rue questioned looking up at Alicia. "'ungry?"

Alicia shot a look at Will. "Have you fed this poor girl?"

Will looked at her in shock. "Of course I have! She ate most of my lunch even!" Still, he watched as Alicia pulled some peanut butter crackers out from her drawer. Sat in Alicia's lap, eating the crackers with her head against her chest. She didn't mind the crumbs that landed in her lap.

She'd never admit it, but it almost made her want another one. She missed when her children were small and all they needed were kisses on their scraped knees and cuddles. Cuddles still seemed to be a big part of the "cure all" with her kids, not that she minded.

Will was trying very hard to hide his emotions about his sister, but Alicia could see them. It was like looking at Rue hurt a little. Knowing that Will's body was blocking her movement, she reached for his hand and gently squeezed it. He offered a weak smile back, and Alicia held Rue a little tighter since she couldn't hold Will.

By seven o'clock, everyone was back at Will's apartment. Sara was staying with Katie in her room, but Rue was once again staying the night with her uncle. Of course the child was welcome. Katie was having difficulty facing her brother. She had only made a phone call to him earlier in the day to ask about Rue and quickly dismissed all his questions. Danni also wanted to see her aunt, but it didn't look like that was going to happen either.

Will sat on the couch with a beer in hand and watching the Bulls game. The girls were in the kitchen, Danni and Grace doing homework and Alicia playing with Rue. It was common knowledge that Will was in a mood and they should probably just give him space. He wouldn't snap at them, but they wanted to respect his pain.

Zach on the other hand grabbed a Coke from the fridge and sat down on the couch with Will. Alicia stopped in midsentence to watch, but Rue didn't seem to notice. She was happy to continue jabbering on. Danni was on her laptop and Grace was nose deep in a biology textbook. It occurred to her that maybe she shouldn't risk them noticing her watching, but hey, she's a mom. It's her job to spy on potentially adorable moments.

"So, you think you could take me to play basketball sometime?" Zach asked very casually making Will turn to him in shock. They were civil, but he thought it would be a while before they did anything more than small talk. Grace occasionally asked him for help in history (because he was a self-proclaimed beast at it) but Zach made it fairly obvious that this was a living arrangement that he had no choice in.

"S-sure," Will stuttered. "Whenever you want."

Zach nodded, never taking his eyes off the TV. "Cool."

Will smiled to himself in that way he always did when he accomplished something. "Cool."

Alicia chuckled to herself, earning the girl's attention but they only looked at her like she was crazy before going back to their work. She took another sip of her wine.

But Zach's mind was still running. He and Will had something in common: they were both big brothers. As much as he wanted to kill Grace sometimes, he couldn't actually imagine his life without her. Perhaps it was him growing up a little, but he really felt bad for whatever Will must have been feeling.

"Do you play baseball?" Zach asked, continuing a conversation that even he thought had been dropped. Really, he didn't know why he was talking. The silence was not uncomfortable, so there was really no need to fill it.

"Yeah," Will said slowly, looking over at Zach. He had a feeling of where this was going. "There's some indoor batting cages at the country club if you want to come with me sometime."

Zach finally looked over at Will and seemed to have a small smile. "Yeah. Dad doesn't play sports. Actually he's not really into sports, and I don't think I'd look all the great learning from my sister."

Zach made a face and Will laughed. "Imagine how I feel when my friends see her kicking my ass. But yeah. We can go out sometime. Whenever you want."

Again, Zach nodded but Will continued to watch him. He had been a lawyer for a long time and he was pretty good at getting an understanding of why people did what they did. Alicia's children were great kids.

Will looked down at the popcorn bowl in his lap and offered some to Zach who easily took a handful and shoved the entire thing in his mouth.

Zach had a dad who would give him probably anything he wanted. Still, there were things that Zach didn't ask for because his father wasn't interested in them. While Peter would easily help with homework, sports and outdoor activities were not what Peter really liked. Zach had a vast knowledge of politics and he actually enjoyed them.

Obviously, Will wasn't going away anytime soon. Zach might as well get used to the idea of it.

The sound of Danni's laptop closing was followed by her plopping down on the couch between her father and brother, taking a handful of popcorn. "What I miss?"

"Bulls down by eight. Their defense sucks tonight," Zach informed his sister earning an impressed glance from the other viewers.

"Look who's finally jumping on the bandwagon!" Danni smirked, rustling his hair. "I'm so proud, little brother."

Zach pushed her hand away and glanced at Will who offered him a smile and a nod. Well… Maybe Zach could get used to this.

_**Please review. Oh, and yes. Aubrey will make an appearance as well. **_


	13. Chapter 13

Things were changing fast. Much too quickly for anyone to actually keep up with. Peter had announced his candidacy and that he would be running without his wife. She believe in him as a candidate but she no longer believed in him as a life partner. That was Will's job now.

They had moved to something that Will and Alicia had decided on. Neither of them really wanted a house. They both liked living in the city. It was in their blood almost. Truthfully, their children like the city life too. Grace probably a little less than the rest, but she wasn't against it enough to stop it.

Instead, they moved into a larger apartment. The bedrooms were smaller, but there were now five instead of three. Travis was becoming a familiar face. Though Will was still not a very big fan and Alicia wasn't really too much of supporter either, the rest of the clan seemed to like him… and his bicep tattoo.

"Are you sure you have to go?" Danni asked her aunt as she leaned into the bar.

"It's better this way," Katie said with a shrug as she poured herself another drink.

Aubrey had joined them in Chicago to say a farewell to Katie. She had been getting weaker and she didn't want her family to see her at her worst. She wanted them to remember her as the fun-loving sister and aunt that they all fought with and shared stories with. Mentally, she considered it her own type of Irish Wake, except she was still alive.

She kept her plans hush-hush, despite her siblings prodding. After all, she was the one who was dying. Her last weeks were going to be on her terms. Her terms and in the Bahamas where she would drink too much alcohol and probably do a little too much weed. She would eat whatever she wanted, and that included a lot of chocolate and Cheez-Its. She would spend her last days living.

"You take good care of my girl," Katie told Will seriously, but with a smile as she poured herself a drink. Surprisingly though, she pushed the wine glass in front of Danni and felt oddly accomplished that Alicia didn't stop her. After all Katie was not above playing the _I'm Dying_ card.

"I'll make sure he does," Danni said with a smile. Alicia also smiled and nodded, taking a drink of her own wine.

Rue had basically lived with them since Katie came, but that was probably her plan all along. Rue was very used to her pseudo siblings and parents now. She loved spending time with Alicia and Will, but it was so hard for Katie to say goodbye. She had a book made for her daughter. It had pictures of Katie when she was young to when she grew up and had Rue. They're were picture of Michael, Katie's husband and Rue's father. But it all ended with two angels. Rue would have to very special people looking out for her forever.

She had said her goodbyes and Rue didn't really understand. Partially, Katie was glad for that. Little by little, she had prepared Rue for this moment, but now it seemed that Katie was the one struggling to hold up her end of the deal. Her eyes glanced at Alicia, mentally hoping that she would be there for Rue and raise her to be strong and wise like Danni had grown to be.

Alicia seemed to read her thoughts. "I plan on making sure he does as well," Alicia assured Katie.

Aubrey looked at her sister as she leaned into the back of the couch. "Why Will though?" she asked. "I mean, he's busy all the time. Sara has Tanner and Lily that are closer to Rue's age. And there's me." She motioned to herself like she was the obvious answer to all problems. "I have no one."

"That's because you're longest relationship was two years," Sara said with an eye roll.

"And that was with a dog," Will added.

Alicia smirked. She like Will with his sisters. She had seen him in a lot of settings, but it was in the family setting that she saw the most of the man she loved.

"Danni's almost got you beat with men. She's been dating the same boy for eight months," Katie told Aubrey, knowing perfectly well that she was opening a can of worms. Sara narrowed her eyes as Aubrey looked truly intrigued.

"Really? Now you have to tell us about him," Aubrey said leaning in closer to get the scoop.

"His name is Travis," Danni said like it was nothing as she took a drink of her wine.

Alicia and Will exchanged bemused looks. After all, that was all the information they got for ages on the mystery boyfriend. Now they had met him, but were still annoyed with how little Danni allowed them to know him or how little she would share about him.

"Oh, come on!" Aubrey said obviously displeased. "Tell us one thing about him that your parents don't know. Is he good in bed?"

Danni's face turned six different shades of red as the insinuation. "I-I- I wouldn't know!" she choked out, the entire room getting hot. It was truly hilarious to Will's siblings to watch Danni get that flustered. If her siblings had been present, they would have probably made note of the moment for the history books. Even Sara was laughing at her.

"He's twenty," Will said almost haughtily. "There better be nothing going on."

The blush deepened even more as Danni put her face her hands. "Oh, please stop."

The only time they could ever get this reaction out of Danni was if they asked about her romantic life.

"Tell us one thing and we will stop poking," Sara pressed, smiling at her niece's prudence.

Danni thought for a second. "He had a tattoo."

Katie growled in approval. "Does he?" she glanced at Aubrey. "That's hot."

"It's not girly it is?" Sara asked, obviously taking a moment to approve. "Something manly? Like barbwire or something."

All of the women gave Sara a cautious look, curious about if her husband had a barbwire tattoo or why she thought that would be sexy.

"It's just a tribal symbol on his bicep," Danni looked over at her parents. "Which is why he never takes his jacket off around you. He thinks it might make you think less of him."

Will and Alicia offered no opinion on the subject. Will could be outright protective when it came to Danni and Travis, but Alicia tried to remain the diplomatic one. After all, Danni was growing up. But that didn't mean she had to like it.

"Really quick!" Katie jumped in, putting down her wine glass. "This is a no-rules night. Therefore, anything any of us say cannot be held against us later in life. Right Momma and Poppa Bear?" She stared at Alicia and Will until they reluctantly agreed. "Wicked Bitch of the East and Can't Commit to a Lunch?" She turned to her two sisters who glared at the names she chose for them and finally she looked at Danni. "And Virgin Margarita?"

Danni rolled her eyes and also agreed.

The night was spent admitting embarrassing stories that they had shared with very few people in their lives. Will had plenty of embarrassing college stories, including the time that he lost his clothes at a frat party and had to walk home in a ripped pillow case. Sara apparently wasn't as always as prim as she is now. Her senior year of high school she got so stoned under the bleachers on prom night, she missed her best friend getting voted queen. Aubrey claimed to be an open book, and they all knew too well that she was. Though, they did wish they didn't know about a piercing she chose to get during grad school. Alicia admitted getting so drunk at her wedding that Jackie had to babysit Danni while Peter held her hair in the girl's bathroom stall. Katie apparently had a bad first encounter with alcohol when she was sixteen and woke up naked in the bathtub at her friend's house with a bruise on her chest from dry heaving against the toilet bowl.

"Your turn, cupcake," Katie said raising her glass at Danni.

Danni shook her head. "My parents are here. I plead the fifth."

Sara rolled her eyes. "Oh come on. What's something embarrassing that you've done? The most embarrassing."

Danni shook her head again. "I refuse to answer on the grounds that it may incriminate me."

Sara scoffed. "Ugh. Lawyer's kids."

"I will…" Alicia let out a breath. "Grant you immunity."

They all turned to Will who was eyeing his daughter suspiciously. "Okay. Fine. Me too. You won't get in trouble."

Danni smiled and took a second to think of what she would say. Then she got a sly look on her face that was laced with hesitation. "Well, it's not really embarrassing, but you guys will probably find it funny."

She took a break before launching into her story. "Dad always tried to keep his girlfriends away from me, but I remember that there was one that got pretty serious because she stuck around for a while. She came out to eat with us and she would make me mad because she would talk to me like I was a little kid."

Will blink. "You have to be talking about Andrea, and you were a little kid. You were probably eight."

That meant very little. "But I never appreciated being talked to like a little kid. You and Mom never talked to me like that and I didn't like it. Anyway, I remember you made a huge deal about her staying the night-" Will's face got red as he glanced at Alicia who offered him a playful raise of the eyebrow. Danni's face grew a little red as the story went on. Apparently she was more embarrassed by the story than she thought she would be. "Well, I had to get her to leave. So, I, uh, well, I made that night very hard on her."

Will smirked a little when he thought about it. "You did."

"I threw up on her," Danni said almost proudly. "I didn't know that I could throw up on demand, but apparently Andrea brought it out in me."

"You also screamed bloody murder when she tried to kiss me goodnight," Will added. "When she already decided it wasn't a good night to stay."

"And… I may have threatened her," Danni said making a face. "In the best way an eight year old could. Hey, I knew Peter was going to stick around, but I like having you to myself."

Will rolled his eyes as the women laughed. "Danni Gardner, the Cock Block," Katie said with a raise of her glass. "

"She definitely had a gift for that," Alicia muttered into her wine glass making Danni gag. Alicia leaned over and kissed her daughter's hair before shooing her. "It's about time we all get to bed," Alicia stated. "You have an early flight."

Katie nodded sadly, but tried to hide just how hard it was for her to leave. If they saw her hesitation, they would jump to make her stay. She wasn't going to stay. Her life was nearly over and she wasn't going to be reminded of that by the looks on their faces every day.

"We all do," Sara added stretching as she got up. Aubrey grudgingly got to her feet as well. Four glasses of wine at two in the morning made it a little harder to move.

The siblings hugged and then Alicia and finally Danni. Katie and Danni held on the longest. When they pulled back, they both had tears in their eyes. "You've got a big heart," Katie said with a smile. "Don't let anyone ever tell you it's a bad thing."

Danni nodded and accepted her aunt's linger kiss on her forehead before she took in the view of her family. This was the last time Katie would see them, and it was the last time they would see her. She was skin and bones, but she was happy and active.

Life would go on.

That night, Rue woke up crying. She crawled out of her toddler bed and dragged her tired, socked feet across the hardwood floor into her uncle's bedroom. Alicia woke up to the sound of sniffles close to her and opened her eyes to see a mess of curly hair. For a moment she thought she was still dreaming, automatically assuming it was younger Danni, but when the blue eyes of Rue looked up Alicia's leaned up on her arm.

"Dweam," Rue hiccupped, already trying to crawl into the king sized bed at was just too tall for her to get on without help.

Alicia pulled her up and into her arms. "Bad dream?" Alicia repeated and the little girl nodded.

"Momma not come back. She gone with the angels and daddy," Rue hiccupped.

There were no words to calm Rue's fears, because it wasn't just a dream. It was the undeniable future. Alicia held the baby tight and felt Will shift to be next to her. His hand fell on Rue's hair and gently brushed her hair down, trying to calm her.

Slowly the hiccups began to turn into slow deep breaths as the toddler slept on top of Alicia's chest. All she could do was hold her tight.

The sound of the door opening again, made both Will and Alicia look up. Danni stood there in her pajama pants and tank top. Though they couldn't see it, her eyes were blood shot and her shoulders shook with her own tears.

Will opened his arms to her and she went without a word. Katie was alive, but they all felt like they had already lost her.

The Good Wife

Kalinda fell into step next to Alicia as she walked into the office the next morning. She didn't say anything at first, but Alicia eyed her suspiciously. Whatever Kalinda had to say, apparently she had to say it with a closed door.

As soon as they were in Alicia's office, she dropped an open magazine on her desk. "I brought you something."

It was a picture of Will with a biography and a number sixteen at the corner. Alicia blinked then turned around only to find Will rushing through her door. "I was interviewed months ago and I didn't actually think that I was going to get-"

"What am I looking at?" Alicia asked, still lost.

The picture was of him leaning forward in a chair looking handsome and somewhat mysterious with his ever so serious expression on his lips. Her eyes scanned the information. Just beside his picture his stats were listed, including height, hobbies, hair color, and eye color. The quote excerpt under his picture said, _"I try to be someone my daughter will be proud of, and the only way I know to do that is being some I can be proud of."_

"You're looking at bachelor number sixteen," Kalinda said with a smirk. As if their life needed anymore public interaction.

Alicia blinked at Will, trying to process what that meant for them. He would probably get a follow up interview and several calls from every single ex-girlfriend out there while she tried to hide away from the spotlight (as usual). They could only keep their relationship quiet for so long. This just forced them to make it public sooner rather than later.

"I expect Eli to call soon," Alicia said with a sigh.

"And my daughter will not be pleased," Will added, pointing to the frame next to him in the picture. It was easy to see it was Danni and large enough for anyone to notice.

"Great," Alicia muttered.

Almost as though timed to make her life more difficult, the woman from the daycare downstairs came walking towards them in the office holding a very frustrated looking Rue's hand. Will and Alicia both took a breath. Someone should have taken the day off with her, but they both had court and full schedules.

"I'm sorry to bother you," the young daycare attendant began as the little girl already pulled out of her grip and climbed into Alicia's lap, wrapping her arms and legs around her. It was a statement heard loud and clear, Rue was not going back to daycare today. "She's bit two children today and won't eat. I tried talking to her, but she won't look at me or-"

Will nodded. "It's alright," he said offering her a smile. "We'll take care of it."

The girl nodded and quickly excused herself. "I have court in an hour," Alicia said immediately, letting out a breath.

"So do I," he muttered.

They both glanced at Kalinda and she gave them one of her classic looks. "I'm not a kid person," she stated bluntly. That sounded pretty much like the truth. In reality, Rue was probably not going to go to anyone that wasn't one of them anyway.

Another day in paradise.

Danni shot a glare at the girl her brother was talking to. She had met Becca before, but as far as she knew, whatever was going on with her and her brother was over. Danni knew people, and people like Becca like to cause problems. There was something about the hissing of a fuse that excited her and Danni didn't like that in people.

Grace sighed as Danni honked her car horn again, earning a glare from her brother. Becca glanced in her direction and rolled her eyes. Enough was enough.

Danni jumped out of the car and crossed the street. "Zach, get in the car. I have to be somewhere."

He scoffed at her. "No you don't. You just-"

"Unless you want to take the bus, you'll get in the car," Danni snapped back, not taking her eyes off of Becca.

"It's okay, Zach. I can give you a ride," Becca said smiling in a very snakelike way as she looked back at Danni. "We're just talking about your dad's article. Bachelor number sixteen, huh?"

"Yeah, he's a real catch," Danni deadpanned. "Let's go Zach."

"They really didn't care that he had a kid. The only bachelor in there that had a kid," Becca continued. "I just find that interesting, don't you?"

Danni took a daring step closer to her. "I don't know what your insinuating, but I suggest you assess the challenge you're employing."

Becca fake pouted in a way that even made Zach a little nervous. "Insinuating? I'm just stating a fact."

"I think I should go," Zach said finally, taking a step toward Danni's car.

"I think you should stay away from us," Danni hissed through her teeth as Zach tried to get his sister to follow him.

But Becca liked being challenged a little too much. "I don't think that's really your choice."

With that, the conversation was over, but Danni had incentive to follow her instincts. Whatever Becca was up to, wasn't good. As she turned to walk away, Becca called back. "Oh! Wait, I forgot to show you this!"

She pulled out her phone and there was an image of Danni and Peter. Her jaw dropped and she grabbed the phone out of the girl's hands. It had to have been photoshopped because what the picture was suggesting would have never happened in a million years. It looked like Peter and Danni were… well, getting too friendly.

"Where did you get this?" Danni snapped her hands trembling.

"Friends," Becca replied. It was the only answer she offered as she took her phone back and left Danni to watch her.

Friends. Obviously that was something Becca and Danni were not going to be.

The Good Wife

Dinner was annoyingly quiet. Zach was mad at Danni for interrupting him and Becca. Danni was trying to assess the gravity of Becca's threat and the motive behind it. Grace seemed very uncomfortable with the fact they were all hiding something by living together. Rue's little mind was still in mourning and so was Will's while Alicia worried.

Everyone was too damn quiet.

"Rue got to go to court today," Alicia tried, hoping that someone would follow up on the conversation.

"You did?" Danni asked Rue, offering her a halfway distracted smile that was only responded to with a shrug.

"Yes. She was very well behaved," Alicia praised the girl but Rue still didn't look up from her food. The conversation was already getting a little heavy to carry and the entire group of them needed to get everything off their chest before it caused real damage.

Alicia looked around the table and looked at Danni first. "Okay, what's the problem?"

Danni didn't even look up from her food, but it wasn't something she could exactly deny. So she decided to choose her words carefully. "Well, I was approached with a potentially dangerous photo that is absolutely false, but I'm trying to decide the pretenses of how to approach it," Danni explained almost sounding a little too detached. "But I will update you on whether or not I find it a real threat."

"Why is Will bachelor number sixteen?" Grace blurted out, always have the worst tact in the household.

Alicia took a deep breath. That was a question she was prepared for, but much to her surprise, so was Will. "I know this is a lot," he said softly, gently looking at Grace. "I didn't even realize that picture would be in there and the interview was long before any of this happened. You're mom and I are working on the best way to handle the situation, which would mean making it public."

Grace nodded slowly but Zach turned toward his sister. "Why do you have to act like you're so superior around Becca? She's never done anything to you."

Well, that was wrong. "I don't trust her," Danni fired back. "She likes to cause problems and you're going to get burned in one of her little games."

Before Alicia could stop it, the all three of the children were in an argument, raising their voices to talk over each other.

"Enough!" Alicia snapped glaring at the oldest three. "Remember that you're setting an example now."

They all glanced at Rue whose gaze was still at her plate. "I miss Momma," Rue muttered thickly, as her teary eyes looked up at Alicia and Will. "I want Momma, Isha."

Alicia pulled Rue out of her chair in a heartbeat and hugged her close, her own heart breaking at the little girl's words. The entire table fell silent and Will could see all of their realizations. At the moment, the littlest person in the room had the biggest burden to carry. Maybe it was time to stop arguing and just be happy they had each other for a few minutes.

_**I seriously started writing this chapter three hours ago and just wrote it all in one sitting (which doesn't happen often). Please review. **_


	14. Chapter 14

_**This chapter isn't as long, but I added some Rue cuteness and some Will/Alicia fluff.**_

The Good Wife

Danni watched. Her eyes scanning the busy office as people pushed past her. Yet, something felt wrong. People were tossing her looks and she couldn't understand them. Normally she was greeted with pleasant hellos and smiles, but there was no such thing in the office today. Today it was like she possessed some extremely contagious illness that was putting her surroundings at risk by standing too near.

Kalinda caught sight of her and looked equal amounts alarmed and confused. Unlike the rest of the people that were walking past her, ignoring her, she moved right up to Danni and pulled her into the nearest office.

"What are you doing here?" Kalinda hissed glancing at all the people watching them.

For a split second Danni was sure she was dreaming or had woken up in some alternate reality. She had been coming to her father's office every day after school for years. It should have been more of a question if she didn't show up.

"I came to see Dad," Danni replied, trying to show Kalinda that she was very lost.

Kalinda blinked. "No one called you?"

Immediately Danni's mind went to the worst. Something had to have happened to her parents or siblings. Someone was dead. Someone had to be dead with the way everyone was acting. But the Kalinda shook her head, obviously seeing the sheer fear in Danni's face.

"There's been some pictures in the media," Kalinda continued. That meant little to nothing to Danni. Obviously something was going on with the campaign and she really didn't care. Then Kalinda leaned over to the computer beside her typed something before turning the screen to show Danni.

She closed her eyes and rested her hand on her face. Well, this certainly wasn't good.

The Good Wife

Rue watched her uncle. Her big blue eyes watching him oh so closely. He was sad. She could tell. But she didn't know why. She knew she had been bad lately. She caused problems at daycare and been difficult, but she never meant to make him sad.

She moved closer to him as he continued his work in his home office. Danni was with her boyfriend and Zach and Grace were at their fathers. It was just her and Will for the moment. Out of the corner of his eye he could see her moving closer to him until she was just next to his chair still watching him.

He turned to her with a soft smile. "Yes?"

"Sad," she said putting her little hands on his face.

He frowned. "You're sad?"

But she shook her head and pointed to him. "Sad."

Guilt washed over him as Rue struggled to climb into his lap, pulling up on the office chair and wiggling. As he pulled her into his arms, he kissed her hair and decided he had probably already done enough for a little while.

"It's been a long day, kiddo."

That was maybe the understatement of the year. He and Alicia were front page news and were constantly getting met with press outside their doors. It made him a nervous wreck to know that Danni was out in the craziness. He had planned on waiting for Alicia to get out of court and driving her home, but she convinced him that Rue really didn't need to be shuffled through more cameras and irritating questions. Danni was convinced that she could handle herself and could spend time with her boyfriend before dinner.

"I bad," Rue said shamefully, her head falling into the crook of his neck.

Will hugged her and shook his head. "You're just hurting. We know you're not bad."

Rue said nothing more, just allowed her uncle to carry her into the living room. It was more than just today that sucked, the entire week sucked actually. Layoffs had begun, Eli Gold had become a client of theirs only to be closer to Alicia and pester her into helping with Peter's campaign, and there were plenty of vengeful people in their mitts at the moment.

He was fine with watching his own back, but Danni was getting too independent for him to watch her like a guard dog and Rue was just a baby, she was barely a toddler. Plus Alicia was on edge with her kids being so close to such a mudslinging campaign. In reality, Danni's too old boyfriend was at the bottom of their problem list and Danni was probably exploiting that a bit.

Zach and Grace were supposed to stay at his place tonight, but they wanted to see their dad and Alicia couldn't say no with all that was going on.

The sound of the deadbolt turning caught Will's attention and he let out a breath when Alicia walked in. She dropped her bag at the door and kicked off her heels without thought of moving them out of the walkway. Worry and exhaustion was written all over her face as she walked to him and let him put his free arm around her as she rested her head on his chest.

A little hand patted Alicia's face and though she thought she would not be able to smile until she got a nap or a glass of wine, she smiled when she saw Rue watching her. The little girl seemed truly happy to see her.

"I missed you," Alicia said softly, still leaning into Will.

"I missed-" Will began but stopped.

When Alicia pressed a kiss to Rue's cheek, Will smirked. "And I thought you were talking to me."

Alicia smiled again, taking Rue into her arms and putting one arm around Will's neck as his arms loosely fell around her waist. Her lips hit his for a deep kiss that definitely told him just how much she missed him too. His hold tightened and Rue groaned.

"Squished!" she announced, obviously frustrated by her guardians' disregard.

They broke apart laughing lightly as they both turned to look at Rue. Will tickled her sides and she giggled as she clung tightly to Alicia.

"Squished, huh?" Will teased glancing at Alicia again and not being able to help himself when he captured her lips again for a quick kiss. "I missed you too," he whispered as he looked into her eyes.

Chills ran down her spine at the look he gave her.

"When does Danni get back?" Alicia asked as she tried to work out Rue's nap with the amount of time they would have for… um… adult activities.

"She said around nine," Will licking his lips.

It was just past seven. Rue had already eaten and going to bed a little early wouldn't hurt. Still, Alicia felt a little guilty for not spending much time with Rue.

They had only been functioning as this family, without Katie in the picture, four a little over a month, but Alicia's maternal instincts already outstretched toward her. It was true though, when you become a mother again, your heart just grows more than you thought possible.

If anything ever happened between Alicia and Will, it was decided that Rue would have a similar arrangement as Danni had. They had no intentions or plans for this good thing to end, but they had to be realistic if it did. Rue had already lost one mother, and she wasn't going to lose another.

"I think Rue and I need some play time," Alicia said with an apologetic undertone to her voice. "But I'm sure bedtime will be about eight."

Will eyes twinkled with mischief making Alicia laugh as she walked Rue into the living room. Alicia thought Rue would be eager to play with her blocks like she normally was, but for the moment, she just wanted Alicia to hold her. They sat on the floor, Alicia's back against the couch and Rue on her chest as they watched the evening news.

The featured story was them, of course. Pictures of Will walking out of the office building talking on his phone and carrying Rue, obviously annoyed. Alicia rushing out of the court room, not even sparing the reporters a look. Grace and Zach walking into Peter's apartment and Peter meeting the reporters at the door.

"_My wife and I have been separated. Will Gardner has always been a good friend to my wife, and they share a child together from before I met Alicia," _Peter told the press calmly_. "I respect my wife's decision. She and Will seem happy together, our children approve of the relationship and I have no doubts that my wife was faithful to me during our marriage. However, our marriage is coming to an end."_

Alicia let out a breath as her phone chimed. It was a text from Eli: _If you want the press to go away, you may want to make a statement. That or an interview. There's a lot of questions being asked about the little girl and the sooner you nip this, the sooner your kids are out of the press._

She knew he was right, but she was overwhelmed. How in the world was she supposed to know what she was going to say about something she wasn't exactly sure of herself. She had pretty well gone from one life partner to another without batting an eye. There were many months that she spent on her own, thinking about what she was going to do next and now… now she was happy. Very stressed out, but happy.

"We'll figure it out," Will assured her, sitting down next to her and offering her a wine glass.

She hoped so. As she took a drink of wine, she glanced down at Rue who was still watching the TV. Her cheek rested on Alicia's breast and her little eyes seemed to be sleepily following the news stories. She would be asleep soon and that gave Will and Alicia plenty of time before Danni got home.

"Bed time, little miss," Alicia announced taking a drink of her wine before handing it back to Will and standing up.

There wasn't a peep of an argument, but Alicia almost didn't want to put Rue down. It was the most content the little girl had been all day and she almost didn't want to risk disturbing it. But the girl was tucked in and was sound asleep within minutes.

As she walked back into the living room, Will was still sitting on the floor against the couch with her wine glass in hand his hand as he nursed his own. She took her wine glass first and finished it without sitting down, then she reached for his and did the same.

He looked at her, obviously surprised, but the look she gave him quickly cleared up any confusion. Pulling her skirt up enough to get better movement of her legs, she straddled Will's lap. Her lips hit his and they melted into each other.

They had ended up in their bed, neither of them had any incentive to more after they managed to pull minimal clothing on incase one of the girls walked in in the middle of the night. Their legs were tangled and Alicia's head was on his arm. He was still awake, she could tell, but he seemed to be thinking about something.

Her hand went up to turn his cheek and she looked him in the eye before kissing his lips once again.

"I love you," she told him softly. She had waited so long to say the words that when she actually did, he looked truly surprised. There was a gentle laugh at his response and she kissed his lips again. "Did you think I just stuck around for the free rent?"

Her joke made him smile and he kissed her back. "I don't ever want to let you go."

"Then don't," Alicia replied.

_**Please review! **_


	15. Chapter 15

_**This is basically two chapters in one, but you guys normally don't care too much about that. Lol. Hope you guys enjoy. **_

Danni opened her locker and closed her eyes as a dozen boxes of condoms came falling down on top of her. Oh, they shook it up this time. Viagra too.

Every time her step-father's scandal hit the news, the abuse restarted. This time it was just getting better with the edited photo of her and Peter together, even though it was confirmed fraudulent and had no basis for truth, her reputation took more damage than Peter's campaign.

According to Eli the other campaign was targeting Danni so much because people liked her. The public view of Danni was now the face of Chicago's favorite love story. She had dodge the media's eye for years in Peter's earlier campaign, but now she was front and center. It didn't help that she was attractive and well beyond her years.

Peter was earning more votes just by supporting his wife's relationship (which proves just how much politics is a popularity contest) and Alicia was fighting Eli to keep Danni out of it. Unfortunately, very little was being heard.

Danni just wished her school life didn't keep turning to hell. The condoms in her locker, the windows of her car painted with things like "He Tells Me To Call Him Daddy" and "Proud Bastard". It was humiliating and even someone like Danni could only take so much. The school newspaper, that she used to work for, now had features of her. There were articles about what she was wearing and how she coped with being a child of unwed parents.

This was _Chicago_, one of the largest cities in a country that flaunted freedom to do whatever the hell they wanted to do. She was a child of unwed parents. This was 2010! That literally meant nothing! Her school wasn't religious, it was just private. There were probably a hundred kids there that parent's weren't married.

Then people would ask her if her parents had been carrying on a secret affair throughout all of Alicia and Peter's marriage. How often did her parents have sex, if Rue was some other love child, how often they fought. But she said nothing to this questions.

As she walked out to her car she was not all that surprised it vandalized as well. By now she kept Windex and paper towels in the back of her car to wipe off the window paint. People laughed as they watched her work, but she didn't offer them a look.

She didn't care what they did to her. At least no one was really looking at Zach and Grace. They were out of the media's eyes for the moment.

"Hey Danni, how's your step-dad doing?" someone called to her as she started wiping away the word on her windshield. _My Dad Has a Big Peter_. Cute. Really original.

"Why don't you take some of those little blue pills to Mr. Hanover? You and him seem to get along real well!"

"Haven't you heard? That tree's already been climbed."

"How come she never says anything?"

"Maybe we're all off base and she's actually into girls."

Danni threw the dirty towels in the trashcan and climbed into her driver's seat. As many times as she told herself it didn't bother her, it still bothered her a little. She was tough, but sometimes her armor started to wear. She started to back out when she noticed something with her car sounded off.

She opened her door and noticed that both tires on her driver's side were flat. She threw her head back against the seat and killed the engine. Their little asshole antics were really starting to piss her off.

The Good Wife

Zach gave Danni a look when she arrived almost an hour late. She had to call AAA for help and though they came quickly, she was still stuck watching them air up her tires and test them before they allowed her to get back in the car. Grace was with her and before he could open his mouth to complain, Grace shook her head with wide eyes, warning him that today was not the day to pick a fight with Danni.

As soon as they got home, Danni locked herself away in her room and Zach and Grace exchanged looks. "What was that all about?"

Grace shrugged and shot Zach another look when loud music started blaring from Danni's bedroom. It had been a solid year since the last time Danni had a teenage moment like this and that was really before Zach and Grace had too many teenage moments. All they knew, it was time to be worried and not approach the room until someone else got home.

Will didn't get home until after seven and he knew Alicia wouldn't be long behind him. He unlocked the door and was mildly surprised to see Grace and Zach camped out on the sofa watching TV. They tossed him an apprehensive look as he started to help Rue out of her coat. Obviously something was going on.

"What's up?" Will asked, quirking a smile.

Grace glanced at Zach before glancing in the direction of Danni's bedroom. "She's… not happy, about something."

They didn't know why their sister was on a war path, and they knew better than to ask. There were levels to Danni's anger. The level or general irritation that easily was brushed off. The level that made her a little snippier and usually had something to do with Peter. Then the level that came with a warning label and the only person that dare approach her was her mother.

"Not happy?" Will asked as Rue leaned against his legs. She didn't take a nap at daycare and was cranky and clingy at the same time.

"She hasn't said anything since she picked us up from school _really_ late," Grace added.

"And she looks like she could kill someone," Zach added. "With her bare hands."

Will nodded and looked toward the door, debating on whether or not it would be a good idea for him to go in alone or wait for Alicia.

"I would wait for Mom," Zach told him. "Not that I doubt your abilities, but Danni seems out for blood. You may want to tag team."

Will nodded. He would at least let her know he was home in case she had mulled through her anger and was not just tired and in need of a hug (one could hope). Rue was still hanging on his leg and looked over at Zach and Grace.

"'Aycawre 'inks," she told them with her face mostly against Will's pants.

They nodded. "So does school. Wanna tell me about it?" Grace offered, making room for her on the couch. Rue gave a small nod before walking over to the couch and climbing in between two of her older siblings.

Will walked down the hallway and knocked on Danni's door. He could hear the hum of music but he received no response from his daughter. Taking a deep breath, he took the risk of opening the door.

As he opened the door, Will noticed Danni's entire room was rearranged and smelled of floor cleaner. Her desk was now by her window and her dresser was on the opposite side of the room. She was curled up on her bed with her headphones in her head, but seemed to be awake by the way she threw her basketball into the air and caught it above her head.

Will cautiously moved to the edge of Danni's bed and sat down on the edge of it. Danni hesitated before throwing the ball again.

"I don't want to talk about it right now," Danni mumbled before he could get a word out.

"Ok," Will agreed. "But your mom gets home soon and she won't care if you want to talk about it or not."

Danni just shrugged in dismissal and listened for her dad to leave. As soon as the door closed behind him, she dropped the basketball to the floor and rolled over on her side. Truthfully, she wanted her mother to come in.

Alicia walked through the door and smiled at the sight of Rue sitting between Zach and Grace. The little face lit up when she saw Alicia and she was sliding off the couch to run to her arms. Teenagers didn't run and hug their mom when she got off work, nope. They just sat on the couch and mumbled a hello.

Rue dove into Alicia's arms and wrapped her legs around Alicia's waist. Those gorgeous blue eyes twinkled. "Hi, Isha," Rue said warmly.

"Hey, baby girl," Alice replied hugging the sweet little girl. "Will told me you had another bad day at daycare."

At the word, Rue's face scrunched up in distaste. Every day at daycare was a bad day for Rue. She didn't like being away from Will or Alicia and her separation anxiety was not getting any better. She and Will were discussing putting her into therapy if it didn't start showing some improvement. A lot had happened to her and though she showed very little distress when around them, she was difficult for other people if they were not in sight.

Rue just wanted to stay with Alicia and she couldn't understand why she couldn't. As she walked into the kitchen, she noticed Will already working on something for dinner. She leaned over and greeted him with a quick peck on the lips.

"Where's Danni?" she asked, noticing her oldest daughter's absence.

"In her room," Zach offered from a room away.

"She's been there since we got home," Grace added.

Will nodded in confirmation. "And she won't talk to me. She even rearranged her room and deep cleaned it."

That certainly wasn't good news. Normally Danni went running or to the gym when she was mad. The physical activity helped her work out her frustrations. Alicia looked over at Rue and bounced her a little. "I have to talk to Danni, why don't you go to Daddy-"

Will offered Alicia a surprised look as she realized her mistake. Her cheeks were already starting to show a hint of pink and she seemed unsure of how to fix her slip. Almost instinctively, Alicia pulled Rue a little closer.

Everyone within ear shot had stopped what they were doing. Zach and Grace were staring at her and Alicia's mouth wouldn't work in a way that would allow her to fix it.

"It's fine," Will said softly, smiling at Alicia's fluster and taking Rue. "Talk to Danni." He leaned forward and kissed her lips softly. "Just breathe."

Alicia blushed and offered him a weak look before heading toward Danni's room. The door was closed but she could hear a rustling from inside. She didn't bother knocking.

"Please just leave me alone," Danni said dryly as she held up a shirt, examined it, and then tossed it into a pile of other clothes. "I do not want to talk."

"Okay, then I'll just sit here," Alicia replied, taking off her heels and sitting on Danni's bed. She watched as Danni held up a pair of jeans, looked at the tag and also threw them in the pile. "What are you doing?"

"Going through my clothes," Danni mumbled.

Alicia looked at some of the clothes on the floor. Danni's favorite pair of jeans were in the pile. She knew they were her favorite because Danni did not allow Alicia to wash them. She took special car of them.

"You love some of these."

"I've gained five pounds," Danni replied dryly. "Haven't you noticed?"

Alicia wasn't sure where this was going. Danni didn't often complain about things like her weight. She was always thin. She was shaped like Alicia was when she was younger, but more toned. Every dress she ever owned had to be taken in because she had long legs, with muscular thighs with not stomach and a fairly flat chest.

"I hadn't either until _Chicago Blogger_ noticed," Danni continued. "They're calling it stress weight, because apparently I'm eating my emotions. There's also a lovely video of me getting hit by an avalanche of condom boxes and Viagra pill bottles on _LOL Politics_." She tossed another pair of jeans in the pile and looked at her mother. "Peter's getting points as the romantic, you've gone from the media's Ice Queen to Disney Princess, and Dad's now some sort of Prince Charming."

Then she took a step closer to her mother looking dangerously pissed. "And you wanna know what I am? I am the joke. Though that horribly photo shopped picture of me and Peter was easily dismissed, I'm the 'proud bastard' who is basically the face of every condom commercial. I know that I wasn't exactly an ideally timed baby or that I was planned, but I didn't think I would turn into an example to my classmates of why to use protection.

"So," Danni snapped, opening her door for her mother to leave, "unless you have some magic power to make this all go away, I'm going to keep cleaning my room. You can go plan your fairytale."

Alicia didn't budge. "Danni, quit being so dramatic."

Danni's jaw dropped and suddenly she slammed the door. "Don't be dramatic? Don't be dramatic? Sorry, Mom, but this is my _home_, this is the one place I can be dramatic because I'm _hurting_. I'm tired of being followed with condoms and stupid comments. I'm tired of holding my head up high and acting like it doesn't hurt. Not everyone can be you, Mom. Not everyone can choose not to feel it."

Alicia stared at her daughter as her blood started to boil, but she waited. If she didn't take a moment, she would probably end up saying something she regretted. Alicia felt all of the comments. Alicia really felt it when her daughter thought she was as much of an ice queen as the rest of the world.

She definitely felt that.

Tears were coming to Alicia's eyes and Danni slowly started to falter. Her glare was softening as Alicia's hand raised to her mouth and she let out a soft cry.

Danni all but threw herself at her mom, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it," Danni tried, wishing she could take back her words.

But Alicia didn't say anything, she just cried softly. She felt like they would never stop. She was ending her marriage with Peter and raising her children. She had a new relationship with an old friend and now she was a mother all over again. Her oldest daughter was suffering a blunt of the media blow and everything was tumbling out of her control.

She needed to protect them better. Danni should be allowed to be pissed off and dramatic sometimes, and Alicia should be able to handle that.

What was happening to her? It was like she couldn't hold her life together anymore.

"Mom, please don't cry. I'm sorry," Danni pleaded, her own voice shaking with tears.

But Alicia said nothing, she just held her daughter back and rocked her back and forth like she was the one doing the comforting. Her life was spiraling out of control and she needed to find solid ground soon.

The Good Wife

Alicia and Will walked into the Gala arm in arm. Rue was not happy about being left at home but Danni was taking care of it. Alicia wore her hair in curls and in a stunning golden dress that had a complicated clasp that Will was already studying for when he planned to get her out of it. They were already more touchy than usual that night, but it had been way too long since they had been anywhere without their kids. They were already making a plans to sneak out as early as possible. Will had rented a hotel room, even if they promised Danni and Travis they'd be home before one.

It was nearly cancelled but they still managed to get out of there by eleven. Will managed to get a black and a bloodied lip thanks to a spur of the moment almost-but never official, case.

"I find it kind of sexy," Alicia told him, holding an ice pack to his cheek and kissed his lips gently.

"I think your daughter's going to make fun of me," Will told Alicia, enjoying her sitting across his lap in his office chair. It wasn't sex in a suite, but it was very domestic and real. She kissed his lips again and gently rubbed her finger against the cut.

"If we go home now, I'm okay with not sleeping at all tonight," Alicia whispered, kissing his jawbone.

Without saying a word, Will slid his arms underneath her legs and stood. Home sounded pretty good.

Danni looked at their wine choices. They had two hours until her parents got home and she was walking around the house in a pair of shorts that a tank top. Normally she just wore this stuff to bed, but with Travis there, she really didn't care. He'd seen her in less.

"Merlot or Pinot?" Danni asked grabbing two wine glasses.

He grabbed her around her stomach and pulled her back, attacking her neck with kisses and making her giggle. "Neither. I just to kiss you," he told her, pinning her against the bar top and lifting her up.

"God, why do you smell so good?" Danni almost complained as she tilted her head back to give him better access to her neck. His lips trailed over a particularly sensitive spot and she let out a moan. His hand covered her mouth.

"Shh!" he said lightly, continuing his work. "I'm not risking waking Rue again."

Danni chuckled a little, but then gasped as his hands trailed lower. His thumbs traced small circles on her bare hip bones.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear.

He could feel her go frigid and then suddenly she pushed him away. He just had to ruin it. They had the apartment to themselves for two more hours and he had to ruin it with stupid comments like that. Most girls would love to hear those words. It wasn't that Travis didn't mean it, he did, and she knew he did, but she wasn't ready to hear those words. Those words were dangerous in her mind. They made people do stupid things. People in love got hurt.

"Why did you have to say that?" she mumbled walking into her room, suddenly more self-conscious of what she was wearing. Maybe she wasn't self-conscious of what she was wearing, but the fact that someone was looking at her so intimately. Being looked at like a piece of meat didn't bother Danni, being looked at like someone loved her did.

Of course she knew he loved her, and hell, she loved him, but she wasn't ready to admit it. Danni's trust did not come easily. There was not a lot of people in the world she trusted whole heartedly. He was asking her for her trust and she couldn't do that.

"Danni," Travis began slowly.

"Travis, please," Danni said shaking her head, reappearing in a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. "Don't ask me for this."

He didn't understand, then again, how could he? He thought they were on the same page. They were doing more with each other's families. He was helping her babysit!

"Don't ask you for what?" Travis snapped in disbelief. "I just told you I loved you."

"At a really stupid time!" Danni fired back. It's not exactly reassuring when a guy tells you he loves you for the first time right before you have sex. "You just-you can't just say that."

"That I love you? I can't tell you that I love you?" Their voices were raising but at the moment neither of them really cared. Sleeping Rue was already forgotten about.

"You can't like that! And-and-and I can't deal with that right now," she cried, throwing her hands into her hair. Why did these things keep happening? She needed her happy, anti-stress place, and that was with Travis before. Now even he was making her want to pull her hair out. She couldn't go to school or out in public without people making comments about her mother, step-father, or father. At home she was constantly playing peacekeeper and ring leader. With Travis it was just them, and now he had to ruin it.

"I told you I loved you, I didn't ask you to marry me, I didn't tell you we should never see each other again," Travis told Danni calmly, realizing that whatever was going on was deeper than what he thought. "You don't have to say anything back."

"But you ruined it," she told him, tears building in her eyes. "Before this was just fun and I liked it and now-"

Travis put his hands on her shoulders looked into her eyes. Her body was shaking. "Danni, we're still the same people."

She started to shake her head but he quickly leaned in and captured her lips. Their lips lingered together for a few extra seconds as he kissed her deeply, dragging his teeth across her lower lip. When he pulled away he looked into her eyes. They were still teary, but they didn't look through him this time, they looked into his soul.

He knew she loved him.

But he also knew Danni was not an easy person to love or be loved.

"You're still Danni, I'm still Travis. We're still us," he promised her.

She nodded and wrapped her arms around her neck as she kissed him again. It was passionate and deep. It was one that travelled straight to her stomach setting free what knots into butterflies. She wouldn't be saying the words anytime soon, but that kiss said enough. He held her tight as the kiss broke apart.

"I'm going to go," Travis told her, pecking her lips and slowly letting her out of his embrace.

"Okay," she whispered, but she moved with him. His warmth was comforting at the moment. She buried her nose into his chest and he kissed her hair.

Eventually she loosened her hold and let him walk out the door. Not ten minutes after he left, Alicia and Will came stumbling into the room. Alicia may have had a little too much wine. Her face was flushed and she seemed to really be holding onto Will for support. Danni was already in her room.

"I'm going to go check on my girls," Alicia told him, taking a hold of his hand. "Then I'm going to our bedroom so you can help me out of this dress."

"And everything underneath it," Will added, pulling her against him and kissing her. As their lips pulled apart, he let her move away from him. "Hurry back."

Alicia gave him a devious smile as she strutted down the hallway. Rue's room was first. The room that had been tidied up right before but Rue seemed to do a great job at destroying it. She was passed out on top of her covers with her stuffed animals all over. Alicia pulled off her heels as she tiptoed around the scattered toys and made her way over to the bed.

She sat down on the edge of the bed. She pushed Rue's hair out of her face and smiled as Rue instinctively leaned into Alicia's touch. "Goodnight, baby girl," Alicia whispered combing her fingers through her hair.

As she walked into Danni's room, she was surprised to see Danni roll over and give her a tight smile. "Hey, sweetie," Alicia whispered sitting down and brushing her oldest daughter's hair away in the same way as she had done her youngest.

"You've been drinking," Danni whispered back moving closer to her mother and resting her head on her thigh.

"Hush you," Alicia shot back with a smile. "I have been, how was your night with Travis?"

She noticed a change in Danni's expression. No matter how many drinks she had, she knew her children and their expressions.

"If I ask you something, do you promise not to freak out?" Danni asked cuddling into her mother.

Alicia thought about Danni's question as she slid down to where she was laying next to Danni and put her arm around her shoulders. Honestly, Alicia wasn't good at not freaking out when it had to do with her kids. She was a little better with Danni just because Danni was more grown up than the others.

"Can I promise to try?" Alicia offered looking up at the ceiling as Danni rested her head on her mother's chest.

It was Danni's turn to consider her options. "I guess that's fair enough, but you actually have to try."

"Alright," Alicia agreed, taking a breath as though she was ready to take a hit.

"How old were you when you started having sex?"

Oh, okay. That… that was something Alicia was not ready for. Of course there are vague conversations about sex they've had. The basics. They could also talk about boys occasionally, but vaguely. This was the first time there had ever been a direct personal question. Alicia almost wanted to lie, but Danni would probably be able to tell.

"I was seventeen," Alicia said glancing at Danni's reaction. She gave nothing away. "Not exactly an experience I am proud of."

Danni's eyes glanced up at her mother, trying to tell if her mother was judging her experience because of her age or because of the actual experience. Once again, Alicia felt the need to be honest, despite the fact she really wanted to lie and tell her daughter to not have sex until she was thirty and married.

"I hadn't been dating the guy very long when we-" Alicia circled her wrist not really wanting to say the word. "It was awkward and… uncomfortable…"

"Well, yeah. Isn't it always?" Danni asked and it was Alicia's turn to figure out what the hell that meant. Did her daughter already lose her virginity? The "not freaking out" promise was getting harder to keep by the second. "I mean, that's what all the girls say at school." Alicia let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "But were you scared before?"

Alicia blinked. "I think everyone's scared. It's new and you feel all this emotional pressure of making sure everything going okay and then when it's over you're sweaty naked and-"

"Uhh…." Danni interrupted blinking at her mother reminding her mother that she was really probably saying too much.

"No, seriously," Alicia went on. "And you hurt and feel like you can barely walk. I remember consciously reminding myself not to walk funny."

"Is this your attempt to make me not want to have sex?" Danni deadpanned.

Alicia shrugged. "Being honest."

"Then be honest and also say it gets better."

Alicia smirked. Cheeky. "It does get better."

They laid there for a little while, Alicia's hand running through Danni's hair. Alicia wanted to pretend her little girl was seven again, not seventeen. She wanted to keep her locked away from the great big world of dangers and boys and instead be her world again. Alicia wanted the days again where Danni would run up to her and hold onto her. Where they could spend hours just cuddling and talking about the playground and the boys that had cooties.

Danni closed her eyes.

"Travis said he loved me," Danni said softly.

Alicia looked down at her daughter. "O-oh yeah?" she nearly stuttered.

"Yeah… and Zach is had sex with Becca. Night Mom," Danni said quickly as she rolled over allowing her mom to go free.

Alicia stayed their frozen for a second before she slowly got to her feet. She slowly moved down the hallway and pushed the door open to her bedroom. Will's big smile slowly fell as Alicia slid off her dress and pulled one of his Cubs t-shirts out of the drawer. She slid it over her head and crawled into bed.

Will blinked at her. "What's-"

"You know what really kills the mood?" Alicia asked him moving closer to Will. "Your daughter asking about details of you losing your virginity so she could be prepared for what sounds like her planning to have sex with her twenty year old boyfriend who told her he loved her."

"_What?_" Will asked, leaning up on one arm getting a better look at her.

"The cherry on top?" Alicia mumbled. "My son's already had sex. My fourteen year old son had sex."

Will let himself fall back on the bed and rolled onto her back as he tried to cope with his own emotions on the topic and process how Alicia was feeling.

"You're right," Will nodded laying his head back against the pillow. "That really did kill the mood."

_**Please review. **_


	16. Chapter 16

_**I knew I wasn't the only one who needed this chapter, so I tried to update as soon as possible after yesterday's episode. The episode is something I'm not ready to comment on, but this is me offering everyone a big hug. Expect the next chapter to have some really tender Will moments. **_

Alicia was very uncomfortable with the fact David Lee was using hers and her daughter's "celebrity status" to get a client. He pulled her daughter out of class. It may have been a thirty-one million dollar divorce, but Danni was still seventeen and in high school. This was not her full time job.

Though Danni assured her mother multiple times her teachers were fine with it, it did not make Alicia feel better. Danni really needed some normality in her life, because her norms were definitely not normal.

"So am I here for the DUI?" Danni asked taking the file from her mother as they stepped into the elevator and she stuffed a bite of a protein bar in her mouth.

"You're here because you're cute and sassy, play that," David informed her dryly making Alicia toss him a dirty look. Danni didn't get to open the file before it was taken from her again. She huffed annoyed. Even she wasn't happy to be pulled out of school to be a puppet.

As they walked out of the elevator, David Lee lowered his voice and leaned back to them. "Don't mention the belemia."

Alicia and Danni exchanged confused looks and Danni suddenly shoved the rest of her protein bar into her purse.

The pent house was stylish and open. The walls were mostly windows overlooking the pier and city. A maid had just arrived with a tray of fruit that sat on a perfectly white table cloth and beautiful china.

A blonde woman who seemed tiny, almost frail, stood before them with a nod as she picked a strawberry up and examined it before putting it to her lips.

"David Lee from Lockhart/Gardner and Bond," the woman that led them up announced.

The frail woman chuckled lightly. "You name is not above the title, Mr. Lee. Everyone else sent partners."

"Everyone else sent people who will abandon you after the first meeting. Mrs. Burchfield, this is my associate, Alicia Florrick-" David began but she didn't seem all that interest in introductions at the moment.

"Mila, Sloan! Sandwiches!" The woman called as she opened another tray. Danni's stomach let out a growl and Alicia glanced at her as her face burned red, praying that no one else heard that.

David Lee however made no motion to be fazed by the interruption and continued.

"I think you may recognize her from the news lately. And her daughter Danni."

Both mother and daughter shot him a look when they realized they were just pons in his little scheme to get the client. Alicia wouldn't have minded if he just used her, but dragging Danni into it may have been a little far. Then again, David Lee simply did as he wished with very little regard to the rest of the world.

"Would you like to sit?" Mrs. Burchfield offered, almost smirking at Alicia's frustrated and embarrassed expression.

David Lee looked like he had just won his own personal game as he smiled. "Yes, thank you." They moved around to sit on the couch across from her, Danni instinctively keeping close to her mother. Mrs. Burchfield watched them. She seemed interested in their interaction and David easily noticed that. "Now, I've been looking over your ex-husband's complaint and I would suggest a spousal maintenance of three hundred thousand dollars a year."

Mrs. Burchfield quickly turned back to David Lee. The talk of money earned her attention. "How do I insulate the thirty-one million?"

"It's not yours to split, it's your daughter's. We-" David hesitated when a younger blonde girl came walking into the room. Her features were almost on the mousy side and her hair a golden blond. She too seemed almost frail in her size as her mother did.

"Oh go ahead," Mrs. Burchfield said with a wave of the hand. "My daughter's know all about it."

"I draw up a trust to protect the cash from both parents. This will be out little fiction to protect the money from him—"

Danni tuned him out. She really could care less. She was hoping to get a file to investigate, not be paraded around like some freak show.

"And my DUI?"

Alicia and Danni both turned around at the sound of the voice behind them. Danni blinked at the girl. For some reason she didn't realize who they were talking about. Sloan. The Disney kid turned bad girl (like all Disney kids who want to be more than Disney). That's who DUI they were discussing. For some reason Danni was even more annoyed with people.

"So how much trouble am I in?" she asked, sitting down next to her mom and sister.

Alicia didn't hesitate. She knew what David Lee would want her to say, but she wasn't someone who lied to clients to make them feel better. The truth left less excuses to be made in the end. "A lot."

Sloan looked surprised. "Really? The other guys thought it was an easy dismissal."

"This is your third DUI. They were just trying not to scare you," Alicia assured her.

Sloan shrugged. "Two were in California."

"It doesn't matter. The State's Attorney is gonna want a felony conviction and twenty-five days at Cook Country to use you as an example. It's an election year. You've achieved… the wrong kind of fame."

Danni and Sloan both smirked. "That was diplomatic."

Alicia chuckled softly and nodded. "I'm trying very hard."

"And if you weren't trying so hard?" Sloan asked. Danni had already decided she liked her. As much as Danni didn't like to admit she was judging, Sloan was much more down to earth and realistic than she expected.

"I would say this is not LA. People are less forgiving of underage drinking," Alicia replied.

Sloan's eyes shifted over to Danni. The two girls studied each other for a moment before Sloan offered her a small smile. "So you're famous?"

Danni shrugged. "That are many ways to attract unwanted fame. Just some people have more control of it than others."

She lacked her mother's diplomacy, but Sloan liked her honesty. It wasn't often that she got to speak to real people who had a taste of her life. Everyone she knew was privileged in the same ways she was. They were famous because they wanted to be. They had premature freedoms and made similar choices. Danni was a new kind of creature to her.

And that's how they got a client.

The DUI however turned into attempted murder. Sloan was released on bail and Will was also put on the case with Alicia now while Danni took the lead in investigating since Diane was keeping Kalinda busy at the moment.

Alicia was not fond of the fact Grace was showing an interest in Sloan while Danni seemed to almost find a friend. They both knew what unwanted fame felt like and Sloan didn't have many real conversations with people her own age. Her best friend was probably her sister and really she wasn't too far off from Danni's life.

The way the world saw them was not as they really were.

"You don't remember anything after the fight?" Danni asked again as Sloan leaned against the couch and strummed her guitar.

"No. I kinda blackout." Sloan sunk deeper into the couch, tossing an ashamed look toward Alicia. Mothers were hard to disappoint, no matter whose they were.

"And at what point did you see your sister at the club?" Alicia asked almost hesitantly. Milla had offered information about Yarissa (the girl Sloan "attempted to murder" by ramming her escalade into the back of Yarissa's BMW while she was sleeping off the alcohol). Milla had announced that Sloan had called her and sounded tipsy so she decided to go pick Sloan up.

"Milla?" Sloan asked obviously confused.

"Yeah, she said was there. That Paige-" Alicia had to keep her from rolling her eyes. It was beyond her why any mother would request to be called by her first name by her children. _Mom_ was a title Alicia loved. "-sent her to pick you up."

Sloan hesitated and Danni watched her as she glanced at Milla. "Don't put her on the stand, okay?" Sloan requested, almost urgently. "They would say anything to keep me out of jail."

As Alicia and Will walked out to the car with Danni trailing behind them, they tossed back ideas. Milla was not very convincing on the stand, but if she was willing to go on the stand, they could make her more convincing. She was willing to talk and tell a story that could stray the idea of attempted murder.

"Don't do it," Danni said firmly, climbing into the back of the car. "Sloan doesn't want her on the stand for good reason."

"She could be telling the truth," Will argued.

Danni shot him a look. "I would want more evidence before I decided to risk my case on some sixteen year-old's testimony. Is it me or does _Paige_ seem to be feeding Milla things to say?"

Neither Will nor Alicia answered so Danni continued. "If it was me on that stand, Grace would not hesitate to lie for me, especially if Mom asked her to."

"But I wouldn't ask her to," Alicia stated firmly. "And I wouldn't allow Grace on the stand."

Danni shrugged. "I wouldn't either. The problem is though, the only one with half a brain in that room is the girl on trail."

Will and Alicia watched as Danni moved past them to her own vehicle. As much as Alicia didn't like Danni getting this involved in a case, it may have been good for her to see this through to the end. She was a public figure now too, and the pressure of that had many different effects on people. One of those ways is the way Sloan handled it. Alcohol, black outs, punk clothing with unnatural colored highlights.

Danni was smart with a good head on her shoulders.

Will wasn't sure how he felt about it either. As much as he hated to say it, Danni maybe needed a little rebellion in her life. She was always too busy trying to do what everyone wanted her to do. Danni needed to find her way in the world with a little less help from them. Alicia probably wouldn't agree, but it was a conversation that was getting close to needing to be had.

"If it was Danni, not Sloan, what would we be doing?" Alicia asked as she put her seatbelt on.

Will didn't immediately offer his answer. He took his time to think about it as he pulled onto the street. "Danni would never be Sloan. You would have killed her after her first DUI or locked her in a tower somewhere."

Alicia frowned at him, but it didn't make it less true.

As they arrived back at the office, it was already going on six o'clock. They went ahead and picked up Rue on the way up and she was happy to see them. Alicia couldn't stop thinking about what Will had said though, even as she went over more paperwork and pulled more cases to help her.

Will made her sound like the hard parent. She wasn't that bad. Peter had always done most of the disciplining with Zach and Grace. Danni didn't really need a whole lot of discipline. She was normally well behaved and respectful. There were times when she was younger that she had Will's tactlessness that needed to be corrected, but Alicia only had to verbally correct her once and she always tried to do her best to behave.

Danni was naturally a people pleaser and that made her a good kid. The plausibility of Danni getting a DUI was slim to none just because that wasn't who Danni was. She was level headed, smart, considerate even. She wasn't the type of kid that set her life astray on a weekend party for the hell of it.

"I'm sorry I said anything," Will said finally, after sitting across from a silent Alicia for over an hour. Rue had even given up trying to get her attention. "You wouldn't lock Danni in a tower. You'd just ground her until she was fifty."

"I don't know why I even asked," Alicia replied, trying to sound like she didn't care. "Danni wouldn't do it anyway."

Will nodded. "Danni wouldn't. It's just not her character." Alicia frowned at him and Will laughed. "What? Am I saying something else wrong?"

Alicia started to shake her head but it sort of turned into a shrug, then she looked at Rue. The poor child had been awaiting her attention since they picked her up. Realizing this was her opportunity to Alicia's love, Rue hurried over to her and reached up.

"Why don't we stop worrying about what we would do if Danni did something, and simply be glad she hasn't?" Will asked noticing his girlfriend relax a little more with Rue in her arms. But the fear took over Alicia's eyes all over again and she looked at him.

There was nothing he could really say to calm a mom down when she realized that her daughter was getting closer to the age where she didn't need her. Danni was always independent and it was hard for Alicia to accept that Danni was nearly an adult. She was past the age the kisses and hugs fixed all the problems.

Zach was becoming more and more independent like his older sister, but Grace was still a kid and Rue… Well Rue was still a baby. Rue needed a booster seat when they went out to eat and needed to be rocked to sleep. Maybe Alicia wasn't focusing enough on all her children.

As the trial continued, Alicia was not pleased with Grace's interest in Sloan, without a real reason even. Danni found it annoying and Zach was disinterested in it. He made an offhanded comment that Sloan was hot (which Danni scoffed at) but basically it was easy to tell that Sloan was not a good breakfast conversation in their household.

Will set Rue down next to Danni as Alicia set some cool oatmeal down in front of her. She always insisted she could feed herself, but Will and Alicia had learned to keep her in her pajamas until after she ate. Her hair was in a ponytail (which Will had so proudly done) just to keep it out of her food.

"So what's she like?" Grace asked out of the blue as Will grabbed a protein bar out of the cabinet and Alicia took a bite of her own breakfast Hot Pocket (the life of lawyers).

"Who?" Will asked, ignoring that his mouth was full and taking Alicia's coffee from her hands. There were countless times that Alicia insisted Will just get his own cup in the morning, but he always just preferred to steal it from her.

"Sloan!" Grace replied like it was the obvious answers. Who else would she be talking about at seven in the morning.

"Of course," Danni muttered with an eye roll.

Grace crossed her arms. "You don't get to say that. You've met her."

"Because she got out of school for an investigation," Zach added sounding equally annoyed at both his sisters. "Which isn't fair."

Danni said nothing, but she didn't look up from her food. If her siblings wanted to think she got all the fun in life, let them.

"She's _fine_, she's a client," Alicia threw in, already feeling the fight brewing.

"Mommy, hot!" Rue complained pushing her bowl of oats back to Alicia who immediately noticed Rue's words while the rest of the family still seemed to be focusing on the inappropriate breakfast topic.

"Come on, Will! Give me something," Grace pleaded, pouting a little bit to appeal to Will's softer side. For Danni it never would have worked, but because Will was still working on earning some ground with Grace, he shrugged.

"She did ask if you guys wanted autographs," he said vaguely, unaware of Alicia's internal freak out that she had graduate from Isha to Mommy, literally overnight. Not that she was complaining. She was actually over the moon, ready to pull Rue into her arms and dance with her like it was the first time she ever said the words at all.

"And what did you say?" Grace asked excitedly, obviously hoping that there was some large picture of Sloan somewhere with her autograph on it.

"Well, actually," Will nervously glanced at Alicia who seemed to be preoccupied with feeding Rue, cooling each bite. "Your mom said she didn't think you would."

Grace scoffed and looked at her mother. "Alicia!"

Alicia paused in feeding Rue and looked over at Grace as the older two children exchanged smirks. Someone was going to get in trouble. It was always fun until it was them… or someone started crying.

"Excuse me?" Alicia snapped as Will quickly took a few steps back.

"_Mom_," Grace mumbled annoyed. "Alicia was for emphasis."

But Alicia stared at her middle daughter. "No emphasis. I'm 'mom'."

Rue grabbed Alicia's hand that still wielded the spoon and pulled it closer to her so she could get her next bite of food. Will placed his hand on Alicia's lower back to try and calm her. It was rather early to have an argument.

Will glanced at Danni who had wisely tried to stay out of the arguments. Her face was down in her bowl of cereal and she looked like she was thinking about something else while Zach wanted to see Grace get in trouble and Rue was more preoccupied with eating. He was concerned. Danni wasn't normally so quiet. Normally she would have put in her two cents somewhere rather than stare into her cereal bowl like it was going to read her fortune.

"I think it's probably a good time to head to school," Will offered the kids.

Danni looked at the time on her phone. "Yeah, we should probably get going if I'm dropping you all off. I can't be late again."

"No, but you can be pulled out of class whenever…" Zach mumbled under his breath.

"To meet pop stars," Grace added, not so quietly.

Danni rolled her eyes as they grabbed their bags. "Bye Alicia!" Grace called over her shoulder. Alicia froze just as she was about to give Rue another bite. "Ow!" Grace complained as Danni smacked her in the back of the head. "It was a joke."

Will, smirked before pulling Alicia into him and kissing her lips. "I love you," he offered with a smile.

"I wuv wu too, Mommy," Rue added raising her hands up to be held.

Will looked as surprised as Alicia was a moment ago but still reached over to pick her up. He glanced at Alicia and she shrugged, suggesting she didn't know where the little girl picked it up either. Last night it was Isha and this morning it was Mommy. She was excited and nervous all at the same time, especially the way Will would react.

But he smiled and pushed his nose into Alicia's hair where his lips here just next to his ear. "How's it feel to be a mommy again?"

Alicia smiled and pressed a kiss to Rue's head. She was so happy that tears were building in her eyes, but she didn't want to show anyone how soft she was. Rue gave them a confused look. "Mommy and Daddy, wight?"

Alicia's heart melted at the surprise that spread over Will's face all over again. "Absolutely, kiddo," Will told her, hugging her and Alicia close. Alicia's hands cupped his face and she could almost see the change. He really wasn't Uncle Will anymore. He was Daddy to one more little girl.

_**I love Daddy Will. Please review! **_


	17. Chapter 17

_**So this is the first part of a two part chapter. The next part is going to involve one of my favorite character… OWEN! I just love him. **_

Danni ran into her dad's office wearing the biggest smile that Will had seen in weeks. She slapped her hands down on his desk and let out a breath. "Guess what!"

Will blinked at her in surprise but her smile was contagious. "What?"

"My ACT score just came in!"

Will held up a hand. If he heard the results before Alicia she would be pissed. Part of co-parenting meant they had to hear big news together. "Two seconds to call your mother in," Will said picking up his phone when Danni made a dramatic hand gesture to the doorway her mother just started walking through.

Alicia also couldn't help but smile when Danni beamed at her. The normally fairly stoic teenager was literally bouncing on her toes, holding onto her mother's hands.

"What?" Alicia asked through a light laugh.

"My ACT results!" Danni exclaimed, pulling her Mom's hands closer to her.

"And?" Alicia asked also starting to bounce.

"Composite score of thirty-three. Highest score thus far in my class!" Danni announced immediately jumping into Alicia's arms as they embraced and Will came around the desk to steal his daughter into a big hug. He spun her around and kissed her cheek.

Alicia laughed at them. Will looked so much of the proud father that a warmth washed over Alicia. He kissed Danni's head and put both hands on her shoulders. "That's my girl! You can get into any school you wanted with that!"

Danni nodded and danced in place and Will practically danced with her. He was so proud then suddenly he looked serious. "Okay, you need to stop growing up!"

She laughed at him and leaned against him. "I would stay your little girl forever if I could, but I would also like to be your grown up daughter that makes your proud."

Will shook his head and kissed her head again. Alicia watched them with such love she wondered how many other moments like this she had missed, then she decided it didn't matter. She would never miss another. All of a sudden she leaned in and hugged her daughter and her boyfriend.

"I love you both so much," Alicia told them.

"We know," Danni said easily. "We love you too."

The Good Wife

Will rolled over grudgingly rubbed his eyes. He squinted at the alarm clock and noticed it was going on three in the morning. A groan escaped his lips as he tossed his head back on the pillows. Unlike Alicia, who slept like a rock when she was exhausted, when Will was over-tired it was even harder for him to sleep.

Alicia shifted against him and he almost felt guilty for wiggling away from her so he could check on the kids. As he pressed his lips to her hair, she smiled and hummed even in her sleep. Will ran his finger over her cheek and wondered why they wasted so much time. If they had just been honest all those years ago, they could have had so many more happy years.

Quietly he moved out the door to the dimly lit hallway and stopped at Zach's room first. As usual, the boy was sleeping with his headphones in and Will didn't even bother to remove them. Instead, he just turned off the boy's lamp next to his bed and moved to Grace's room down the hall.

There was a system to checking on the kids. Zach's bedroom was across the hall, and Danni's was down from his, then Grace's was across the hall from Danni's and Rue's was the closest to Alicia and Will's.

Danni's TV was still on with the repeating title screen of Lethal Weapon, which Will had to chuckle at. He hoped that was a movie that Travis asked she watched and not one she found on her own.

Grace was also sleeping soundly, even in the mess she called a room at the moment. Alicia had asked her to clean it the day before, but he had a feeling she would not be asked the next time.

As he turned on the TV, he heard a shuffle from the next room. Will took a breath as he pushed Rue's bedroom door open and saw the little girl sitting up on her bed surround by mountains of stuffed animals and toys. She smiled brightly at the sight of him.

"Hi Daddy," she said not sounding least bit tired.

"Hi kiddo," Will replied quietly, moving into her room. "What are you doing up?"

Rue blinked at him like it was a difficult question. "Playing."

Will smirked at her innocence. Of course she was. She offered him a toy lion and patted her bed. "Daddy play too?"

Alicia would probably have told him that Rue needed to go to bed, but there couldn't be too much harm in playing for a while. Unfortunately, he would regret his thoughts in the morning.

It was five-thirty when Alicia stirred. She whined as she rolled over to Will's side of the bed to bask in his warmth for a short time. However she was met with cold sheets and pillows. Her eyes opened immediately and she was concerned. He was always there when she woke up. Always.

Pulling her robe off of the bathroom door, she headed down the hallway and stopped at the only open door. She pushed the door further open and had to keep herself from laughing at the sight. Will Gardner, was curled up in a toddler bed with Rue on top of him. A stuffed Lion was on top of his head and a book on the floor beside them. Rue was asleep by eight the night before and Will was asleep at least by eleven.

She walked over to her boyfriend and place a hand on his shoulder as she leaned down and kissed his lips. He blinked awake and smiled up at Alicia smirking down on him.

"I wasn't invited to the party?" Alicia whispered, not wanting to wake Rue yet.

"Daddy-Rue three AM party. Daddy's Lion and Rue's Panda had a wrestling match. Daddy lost," Will informed her rubbing his neck.

Alicia assisted him in placing Rue on the bed and managing to get himself off the low bed. He stretched his back and groaned loudly. He was much too old for a damn toddler bed that his legs hung off of and it didn't have a box spring. Really, it was probably a better idea if he had just put Rue back to bed and rejoined Alicia. Then again, he really enjoyed his one on one time with Rue.

"She's going to sleep all day," Alicia muttered, shaking her head as they walked back to their bedroom together. She noticed Will yawn and she chuckled. "You both will sleep all day."

"I can't. Danni and Travis are going to some festival thing at eight and I have to be awake to do my fatherly duty of reminding him I can kill him," Will told her as Alicia pulled back the covers to climb back under.

"I'm surprised you're letting her go with him anywhere. You've been doing your best to keep them away from each other since she and I had a late night conversation about sex," Alicia mused. To be completely honest, she wanted to do the same thing, but it was hilarious to see Will's lengths that he would go to be sure his daughter had not chance to lose her virginity. She hadn't gone to see Travis in over two weeks because Will would always come up with some father-daughter/family activity that he had "planned".

"Danni promised that they're just going to the festival and coming straight back, plus I know for a fact Travis's apartment is getting maintenance. I like Travis, just not enough for him to sleep with my daughter." He wasn't going to mention he may have paid the boy's super to schedule that afternoon.

Alicia hummed in agreement as she moved against him, burying her nose in his shirt and kissing his neck. "You know, we pretty well have the day all to ourselves. Diane wants to take Rue and Zach and Grace are going to Peter's. It's officially Saturday."

Will craned his neck to look at her. "Are you making a suggestion?"

Alicia closed her eyes and moved her hand lower to his stomach to draw circles. "I have a few plans on the itinerary."

Once again, Will had a little trouble going back to sleep.

The Good Wife

Alicia was partly right. Will got up without a problem the next morning, Rue however spent the morning sleeping on Alicia and being carried around the kitchen. Danni took enough time to do Grace's hair before she disappeared into her bathroom to get ready for her own date.

Zach was sitting at his desk on his computer (which had been moved into the living room after an argument about Becca being in his room for "homework purposes") and Alicia had mastered the art of carrying Rue while reading a case file. Will had an open law book in front of him on the coffee table with his fourth cup of coffee. He may have been a caffeine addict.

There was a knock on the door and no one moved. Even Grace was still focused on her book.

There was another knock and Alicia looked up and glanced around the silent apartment. "Is someone going to get that?" she asked, having just sat down and unable to get back up with Rue on her.

Will looked up over the top of his book. "Huh?"

There was another knock on the door and Danni's loud groan earned her parents' attention as she came stomping into the living area. "It's fine. I'll get it," she griped, her curls straightened, but still sort of wavy. Poor girl. Those curls were a handful.

As she opened the door, Peter had to do a double take on who it was. "You really look like your Mom with your hair like that."

"Thanks," Danni said duly as she turned back around and headed toward the bathroom again. "I can't decide how I feel about that," she muttered mostly to herself.

Alicia looked exasperated and glanced at Will as he stood up to greet Peter like the civil acquaintances they had agreed to be. They clasped hands in a tight handshake and offered manly nods. Suddenly there was a little too much testosterone in the apartment for Alicia. She groaned as she tried to stand up with Rue.

"Mommy, _no_," Rue whined thinking that Alicia was trying to wake her.

Alicia hummed and rubbed her back as she leaned into kiss Zach and Grace. "Behave, I love you," she told them. "See you tomorrow night."

Grace eagerly hugged her mother back while Zach proved still a pissed off about his mother's relocation of his computer. Peter on the other hand watched them all say goodbye to the child too. They both kissed her head and whispered a farewell before heading back toward him.

For a little while, he honestly thought he could win her back, but with Rue now. Peter knew how Alicia was. Alicia was a mommy again and she was going to stay a mommy. Children need mommies and daddies.

Sometimes he wondered what kept Alicia and Will apart the first time. They had the baby, and that gleam in their eye when they glanced at each other, but he still took her. The more he thought about it, the more he didn't understand. There must have been something he offered her that Will couldn't.

Peter nodded at Alicia who offered him a civil smile. It was easier now. She was happy and smiles didn't come so hard. They melted along her face and made him smile back. "Hello, Peter. They swore they did their homework last night, so you shouldn't need to worry about that."

He nodded blankly, still looking at the curly hair toddler. Alicia and Will both knew he was staring and thinking, but they didn't interrupt. It was a lot to take in sometimes. The entire situation was a lot. But the kids were handling it and that's what was important. Zach and Grace didn't seem scarred by this, and probably saw this eventually coming since the scandal arose.

"Bring them back Sunday, what time?" Peter asked, his eyes snapping back to Alicia and Will.

He felt ill as the couple glanced at each other as if trying to decide a time together. Zach and Grace were not Will's kids. They were his. Will should have no say in any of this.

"Three? Owen's coming in and I don't want them to miss him," Alicia explained with a shrug. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah! Yeah," Peter shrugged, trying to seem like it didn't matter. The truth was the apartment felt lonelier than he ever felt in prison. Probably because this time he knew that Alicia wasn't lonely too. Sometimes, even he knew he was a bastard. Then he looked at the kids. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, but I'm going to hang out with Justin tonight too," Zach told his dad, already texting someone on his phone.

"Did you see what Danni did to my hair?" Grace asked, flaunting the new do.

Peter smiled. "Beautiful as always." He then glanced at Alicia and Will. "Well, see ya later."

But just as he was about to follow the kids out, he stopped and watched as they walked to the end of the hall. If he was going to think it, he may as well say it. Turning back to Alicia, he gave her a sincere look. "You look good, Alicia. You look happy."

She exhaled softly. Her eyes glanced to Will's as a smile appeared on her face and she rubbed Rue's back. "Thank you, Peter."

As the door closed behind Peter, Will and Alicia both looked at each other. Well, that was odd. She figured the conversation would happen eventually, but Peter was handling it all a lot better, and sooner, than they had planned. She knew she would throw him into madness if she served him divorce papers, but the whole world knew they were coming eventually. David Lee was enjoying himself a little too much writing them up.

"That was weird," Danni commented from the hallway, obviously witness to the entire conversation.

"IF that's weird, we'll take that right now," Alicia said with a firm nod, once again disturbing the baby in her arms. She was really getting heavy though. She carefully set Rue on the couch, frowning as the little girl fussed at the loss of contact.

"Can I tell her to change?" Will muttered, walking back over to his space in front of the coffee table to restart his research. Immediately Alicia turned around to see what their daughter was wearing. Then she rolled her eyes at Will.

Danni was a stylish person. A lot of creative side came out in her clothing. However, she was far from a scandalous dresser, and it was just wasn't in her personality. Danni did know how to accent her features in a way that made her even more beautiful (and look several years older in full maturity) than she did when she just got ready normally in the morning.

"She's fine," Alicia scolded him lightly before turning back to her daughter. "You'll be back at seven?"

Danni nodded. "And you guys are going out tonight?"

"Yes, so only call if it's an emergency, otherwise you can text me," Alicia promised, leaning in to kiss her daughter's forehead. "Behave, please."

Danni gave a slight eye roll, but hugged her mom and then her dad. "See ya later."

She wiggled her fingers and headed for the door. Will didn't normally celebrate his daughter's exit but that just meant he was one kid away from starting Alicia's itinerary for the day and he was very ready for that. Never had he struggled with getting alone time with his girlfriends before, but then again Danni had days at her Mom's house. Now that he and Alicia were together with two of her children and two of theirs, time together got hard to find. Especially with Rue.

Alicia laughed when Will pulled her into his lap as soon as Danni closed the door behind her. His lips kissed her neck and his hands cradled her to him. "When does Diane get here?"

"An hour. She's picking up Rue in an hour," Alicia replied, her mind slipping when he hit a particularly sensitive spot.

Will pouted as Alicia pushed away from him and she chuckled again. He was such a child and Alicia was like his favorite toy. He really didn't mind sharing her with the rest of his family, but he hated waiting to have her back. He loved Rue and Danni. He really cared about Zach and Grace even if they were quite to the parental level of love yet. Still, he was a guy and he liked having one on one time with his girl.

"You want me to get Rue ready?" Will asked knowing that Alicia had been hauling Rue around all morning while trying to catch up on the Patterson Trial. Diane recruited her because she needed a hand holder. While other associates though Alicia was favored because of her relationship with Will, the people in charge knew just how much Alicia put up with. It was common for her to be handed a file last minute and have to prepare for trial within the week while others had at least a month. She her load was normally heavier because some people just liked and felt comforted by her presence.

"You can wake her up. I'll dress her," Alicia said with a smirk.

Will nodded almost sadly. He knew very well that Rue was going to be horrible to wake up, but she would be fine once they got past that little nightmare.

And it was a nightmare. There were tears and whines. A short tantrum that punctuated itself with a puckered lip and a hug before she finally looked up into Will's eyes. "Morning Daddy."

Will sighed and picked up the little girl. "Good morning, Rue. You feel better now?"

She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. He carried Rue to her room where Alicia was still looking through her closet. She finally pulled out a dress and a pair of leggings. Diane was someone who always looked nice, even in jeans, and Rue would probably need to look nice too. Neither Will nor Alicia were sure why Diane asked to spend a few hours with Rue. It was suspected that she wanted to make sure her aunt status stayed even with Rue, but Rue wasn't fond of everyone.

The moment that Diane arrived, Rue surprised them all by running to her and greeting her with a hug. She had met Diane several times, and didn't have any reservations to her, but she certainly wasn't overly exertive.

Diane however did not seem surprised at all. "Well hello!" Diane cheered easily, cuddling the little girl.

"We play?" Rue asked, seeming to already know the answer to that.

"Oh yes! I have lots of plans!" Diane assured her smiling over at the shocked parents. She felt a little smug. Like all lawyers, she liked being underestimated. "You want to say bye?"

Rue waved from her place in Diane's arms. "Bye!"

Alicia felt a pang of sadness so be so easily dismissed by Rue when normally she had to give Will and Alicia both hugs and kisses and then be pried off by a daycare worker.

"Bye?" Alicia replied with a slight wave as Diane turned and headed out the door. She turned to Will and put her hand over her heart. "Ow."

Will laughed and put his arm around her shoulders, kissing her. "She'll be glad to get home, but right now, we have at least four hours to ourselves." Then he leaned back to look at her. "We're not really going out are we? I was hoping for a day in."

He waggled his eyebrows and Alicia rolled her eyes. "I was just making sure our cellphones caused minimal distractions."

In an instant, Alicia was pinned against the wall. It was going to be a fun day.

Two hours later, Alicia and Will were both collapsed on the bed. The next thing was to shower, but neither of them could move off each other. The best thing about their relationship was while everything else in life was hard, this was easy. Loving Will didn't take her convincing herself she should. Alicia had spent too much time convincing herself she shouldn't and now that she just let herself have what she really wanted she couldn't understand why she stopped herself before. The sex was great, the relationship was solid, and their family was strong.

"If we don't want to look like horny teenagers when Diane gets here, we better shower," Will told Alicia as he ran a hand through her hair.

"I still can't move my legs," Alicia muttered into his shoulder making Will smirk. She raised her head to playfully glare at him. "Men and their ego."

He was about to comment when they heard the door slam shut and a contagious giggle echo through the hallways. Alicia and Will looked at each other. Their bedroom door was ajar since the apartment was empty and they didn't have to worry about unexpected guest.

"You have great hair," Danni slurred still giggling. "Like, _great_ hair."

"Danni, I'm going to drop you if you keep doing that," Travis warned her, sounding obviously annoyed. "God, you're dad's going to kill me."

At that, Alicia was throwing Will his pants as she grabbed her own clothes off the floor. They weren't sure what was going on, but they were already fuming. Usually if the boyfriend knew he was going to die, he deserved to die.

Travis kicked the door shut as he walked with cradled Danni in his arms. She had two shots of tequila and some specialty drink all given to her by some artist that Travis couldn't get her to stop talking to. She had been testing him, and he knew it. Ever since he told her he loved her, she had been trying to do little things to make him admit that he didn't.

The problem was, he really did love her and Danni didn't know how to handle that.

"Can you walk now?" he asked stopping in the family room.

She nodded and he slowly lowered her to the ground. Her first step was a stumble on her shoes, but she quickly kicked them off. When she turned around and saw his stern glare she pouted. "You're mad."

Travis let out a humorless laugh. "Yeah, I'm mad, Dan. Actually, I'm past mad. For a smart girl, you do some stupid shit."

The pout changed into a glare with pursed lips. "I don't need another person telling me what I need to be doing."

"You know what you need to be doing!" Travis snapped. "I'm fine with you being you when you're with me, but I want _you_. Not this chick who lets an artist chat her up because he wants in your pants."

Danni rolled her eyes and took a step away from him only for her to stumble on her unsteady legs. Immediately Travis reached out to catch her and she pushed him off. "You're a jackass."

"And you've been sabotaging this relationship since it turned to serious!" Travis shot at her. "There are no extra expectations when I said I loved you. I was telling you how I felt!"

"There are always expectations!" Danni shot back at him. "And I don't have time to live up to one more person's!"

In the bedroom down the hall, Alicia and Will were standing in the just out of sight by the cracked door, shamelessly eavesdropping on their daughter's argument. These opportunities didn't come around often, and they were going to take it. At least until the moment seemed appropriate to interrupt.

"Danni, no one is holding you to any expectations! It's all in your head," Travis tried to reason with her. "Love doesn't come with expectations."

"Love comes with _great_ expectations! If you love people you try to make them proud!" Danni exclaimed. "That's what love is! It's putting other's first."

And just like that, it all started to make sense to Travis. Danni spent all her time putting other people before her. Her siblings, her parents, Diane, Kalinda, all these people that cared about her and she cared about them. She wanted to make sure they knew she cared about them by making them proud, by being the person they would want her to be. "But no one wants you to sacrifice yourself in the process."

"You don't get it, Travis," Danni sighed. "You have your dad who always wanted you to be who you were and-"

"A republican mother who loves her democratic son? You think your parents are going to disown you if you don't go to Georgetown law school? You think that Zach and Grace will fall into some dark hole if their big sister has a little fun or gets a B on a report card?" Travis asked. "You take too much responsibility for others. Who do you want to be? I know for a fact you don't want to be a lawyer. You can't stand listening to court cases. You may like the investigative stuff, but you think the lawyers bend the truth and you don't like that."

She scoffed at him. "I'm proud of my parents!"

"Even though you disagree with what they do," Travis explained, trying to make a point. "Your parents would be proud of you if you went into art. One B on a report card won't kill anyone. And you don't have to go to Georgetown to cheer for their basketball team."

Danni frowned, but Travis cupped her face and kissed her lips. "Love is not conditional, and I don't think you understand that. Why are you so jaded?"

She gave him no reply, but instead pulled away from him. "I can take care of myself from here," she mumbled, stumbling into the coffee table. Her shin made firm contact and she would definitely have a bruise later.

"Let me put you to bed," Travis offered, quickly realizing he was losing her.

"I'm quite capable of taking care of myself," Danni fired back, continuing toward the hallway. "Lock the door on the way out and there's money in my car for the taxi home."

Travis shook his head and stepped after her. "Danni-"

"I'm can take care of myself, Travis. Please, just go."

Alicia and Will watched the boy stand helplessly in the center of the family room as drunken Danni padded down the hallway to her room.

All the boy wanted to say was she didn't have to.

_**It's a little disconcerting when you realize your daughter feels pressured to be this perfect person so much that she can't find it in herself to love another person because she's not sure if she can be perfect for him too. Alicia and Will may have to deal with that… With Owen's help of course. **_

_**Please review!**_


	18. Chapter 18

Will and Alicia didn't speak about what they heard exchanged between Travis and Danni. Was it their fault that Danni felt all this pressure to be who they wanted her to be? Of course they both wanted her to go to law school, but she always seemed a fan of the law. It made them a bit uncertain to hear how she really felt, especially when it wasn't even from her lips.

They sat silently on the couch, both will a glass of wine. They didn't sit together really. In fact they were pretty well on opposite sides of the couch.

What was there to say? It wasn't untrue that that had a tendency to brag on Danni's achievements and behavior. Coming home intoxicated was probably not something to be bragged about, but for the most part Danni was very well behaved.

Alicia glanced over at Will who was sitting with his hand under his chin staring off into space. He looked to be in deep thought and she assumed it was about the same thing she was thinking about.

Just as she opened her mouth to say something, her attention was stolen by the sound of someone clumsily falling through the door.

Both her and Will turned to see Owen pushing dropping his luggage in the door and whipping on his sunglasses. "I'm here!" he announced happily, stepping over his suitcases and walking toward Alicia and Will who had yet to digest what was going on. His eyes narrowed and then he pouted. "You forgot I was coming!"

"No!" Alicia shot out quickly then stood and scrunched her nose. "Okay, I forgot, but only for thirty minutes."

"Huh," Owen replied nodding as if he wasn't sure what that meant, but at the moment he didn't care. His sister had sex head! Alicia was having sex! There comes a time when celebrating a sibling's sex life it totally appropriate. "Where's the holy terrors?"

"If you're talking about my children Zach and Grace are at Peter's until tomorrow, Rue is with Diane and should be home soon, and Danni is in her room probably sleeping through detox," Alicia told him deciding that three in the afternoon wasn't too early to start drinking wine. After all, her teenage daughter already had enough time to get drunk.

Owen glanced at Will who hadn't said a word since he walked through the door and then back at his sister. So obviously this who dreary aura in the room was because of something Danni did. He rolled his eyes. "Seriously? You're upset because your daughter got drunk? She's seventeen. If I had a nickel for every screwdriver I had in high school."

"How many of those were with Tom Doten?" Will asked out of nowhere, a smirk on his lips.

This was why Owen had always like Will. Owen had a morbid sense of humor, Will had a morbid sense of humor. People who made jokes out of things that shouldn't be joked about had to be friends or else they just wouldn't have any.

"Well, I'd have a few more dollars if we're counting those screw drivers," Owen deadpanned making Alicia roll her eyes, but he could see her own smirk.

She poured three glasses of wine even though she didn't ask if anyone else wanted some. If they weren't going to drink it, she would. But this group wasn't a group that passed up alcohol.

Like she expected, Owen accepted his glass as he took a seat in one of the arm chairs and Will did the same. When Alicia returned to the couch, she sat against Will. His arm immediately went around her shoulders and she closed her eyes for a quick second before blurting out the problem to her brother.

"Danni thinks that she has to do all these things to make the people she loves proud by doing all these things like going to law school and straight A's and- and-" Owen was already seeming unfazed by what she was saying, like it was old news. "What?" she snapped.

"You mean she's being you?" Owen asked holding the wine up to his lips and raising his eyebrow.

Will tensed as Alicia stared at her brother. "Excuse me?"

"I mean, I don't call her Alicia Junior because I think it's cute. She is just like you," Owen told her matter-of-factly.

Alicia didn't say a word. She just stared at Owen, unsure of what to say but fairly sure whatever she was going to say was going to not come out nicely. It felt a little like he was blaming her. Actually, it felt very much like he was blaming her.

"Look, we all love you, and we love Danni. You survived to adulthood because you had one sibling, parents that divorced quietly, well as quietly as our mother can bear to do anything, and only had one sibling to protect and really no shoes to fill," Owen explained. "If you were Danni, you would be doing the exact same thing."

"She's just trying to protect everyone," Will added carefully.

"But she's pulling herself apart doing it," Alicia argued. "It took her boyfriend yelling at her for us to even see just how thin she's wearing herself."

That wasn't true. There were signs all over the place, but Alicia was too busy to see them. No, Alicia was too busy to take care of them. She couldn't even pause to dry her daughter's tears without her own starting.

"Okay, so what do we do?" Alicia said finally, sighing a little.

"Oh, don't worry," Owen said with a wink. "I have a plan."

Danni stretched against her bed as the sounds of giggling... Her head lifted and her eyes grudgingly opened. She turned over her phone and noticed she had several missed calls from Travis and several text messages that she really didn't have the light tolerance to read. She groaned as she noticed the time. It was only seven in the evening.

Kicking off her covers, she rolled out of bed and glanced at herself in the mirror. Her eyeliner had smeared and her once straight hair was now half curly. Her t-shirt was over sized and her pajama shorts were just a little too short. Basically, she looked like a mess, but she was home and she didn't really care all that much.

She drug her feet down the hallway and was met by her mother almost immediately. Alicia was dressed in her old t-shirt and a pair of sweats. She was smiling brightly and kissed Danni's forehead. "Hey, kiddo. Ready for some fun?"

"What? I just woke up," Danni complained, squinting a little. She may have been a bit hung over as well. Danni didn't have years of practice to have a great alcohol tolerance. Actually, she was a bit of a light weight if it wasn't wine.

"Oh, you're okay," Alicia assured her. "I thought we'd do something special tonight."

"Without Grace and Zach?" Danni asked uncertain.

"I was thinking it would be more with just us. Your dad, Rue and Owen are waiting for us."

Alicia smirked at Danni who seemed unsure about the idea. Usually a surprise with Owen meant a drag bar or getting drunk and dancing on the coffee table. Which did end up being fun, mostly because Alicia would normally get drunk with him and they would dance together. Then again, that was before Rue and Alicia's alcohol intake had been somewhat curved.

However, when Danni rounded the corner to the living room, she was surprised to see Travis also in the living room dancing around the room with Rue. Her giggling was so contagious that Danni couldn't keep herself from laughing either.

Will immediately grabbed Alicia's hand and pulled her to the center of the living room. There was older music playing, but the kind that had a fun and wild beat.

Owen was in awe of how willingly Alicia went with Will, kissing him and dancing with their bodies together and her arms around his neck. He had never seen her smile like that. They separated just enough to pull Rue up in their arms once she was released from Travis. He eyes were locked with hers as they both wore playful grins.

"No expectations," Travis whispered to her as he took one hand in hers and slid his other around her waist and started dancing.

"So if I step on your toe?"

"Ow!" He looked down at her feet finding a comfortable position on his. He smiled and held her a little tighter. "Then I know you trust me enough to lead for a while."

She wrapped both arms around his neck and close her eyes her head rested on his chest. "I love you," she whispered so quietly that he felt her words hum more than he heard them through giggles.

His lips pressed to her hair and he closed his eyes too.

Owen sat back on the couch, watching everyone with his glass of wine until Will stole his daughter away from her boyfriend and pulled her into his arms. Alicia turned off the music and sat with them on the couch.

Travis had offered to take Rue in the other room to play and Alicia nodded a thank you. It was time for a little heart to heart.

"So, AJ, I hear you're living up to his nickname," Owen teased taking another drink of his wine. "You could join the family alcoholic's club in another four years."

"And here I thought this was my official initiation," Danni tossed back. "Or if there's some game involved we all know that Mom can drink us all under the table."

"That's been true for years," Will chuckled. "By the end of law school it was a lesson well learned."

Alicia smirked taking pride in it but she leaned in and kissed Danni. Alicia and Danni had no account of personal space. Danni always stayed close to her mom when she was around Peter and in a way it made them a little more touchy feely than she was with Zach or Grace. Zach and Grace were sometimes cuddly, but Danni always enjoyed being close to people.

"We want to talk to you about something else actually, kiddo," Will told her. "About college."

"Okay?" Danni said leaning up to see her parent's faces. "My scores are good. So are my grades. I mean I can-"

"Woah," Alicia cut in.

"Alicia Junior!" Owen sang over his wine glass.

"Shut up and drink your wine," Alicia snapped.

"But it's emp-ty," Owen whined childishly, holding his glass out. Alicia rolled her eyes and pushed herself off the couch and snatching his wine glass on her way. She mumbled something incoherent and it was probably a good thing no one heard her. She wasn't a fan of being interrupted with her children.

When she returned she handed Owen a full glass of wine and even laid the bottled at his feet. Her movements were punctuated with a dirty look to her brother as if daring him to piss her off and interrupt her again.

"Okay, where you dad was going with the college thing was that we want you to do what you want to do," Alicia continued.

"So if that means going into art," Will added.

"Or nuclear science," Alicia cut in.

"Then we're all for it. It's not our life. It's yours," Will told his daughter tucking her under his arm.

Danni's eyes narrowed as she glanced around the room. Then she pursed her lips and shook her head. "I'm going to kill him! This is none of his business!"

"_He_ can here you," Travis called back, sticking his head out of the room. "And I had nothing to do with this. I was invited over here for a party."

Danni rolled her eyes, but Alicia shook her head. "He's not involved in this. This is us."

"It's written all over your face, AJ. You're becoming your mother," Owen told her with a shrug. "We love her and all, but hell, we have to."

Alicia glared at her brother but decided not to say anything. Will let his hand slide up and down his girlfriend's arm in a calming motion as he brought her back to the issue at hand. As annoying as Owen was to Alicia at the moment, he was affectively lightening Danni's mood. Becoming her mother didn't sound like a bad thing. Granted Alicia didn't marry the man Danni would have wanted her to marry, but she was on the right rack now, and being a kick-ass lawyer. Plus Danni got a double dose of sadistic sense of humor.

"I don't think I understand why that's a problem," Danni replied carefully.

"It wouldn't be if that's what you really wanted, but you can do anything you want to and we'll support you," Alicia told her. "But if you want to go into something else…"

Danni looked at her mother. She wanted to tell her that the law bored her. Investigating was more interesting, but she didn't really want to go to school for something when Kalinda has basically taught her the trade. She wanted to go to school, but her parents wouldn't believe her. They'd think she was crazy.

"Art," Travis said plainly as Rue ran around the couch to climb on top of Alicia. "You're really talented with a paintbrush."

"She can also play a mean guitar and has a powerful voice to go along with it," Will told him, surprising Alicia as well. Danni had never said anything about playing guitar. She had some real skills with the piano when she was younger, and from time to time she still sat down to play.

"I used to love to watch you dance," Alicia told her daughter, smiling softly at her.

"Another thing you got from your mother," Owen slurred. "But she only gets really good when she's drunk."

"Owen, shut up and drink your wine or I'm taking it away," Alicia threatened.

Owen pulled the glass into his chest and shook his head like a petulant child. Rue seemed a little leery of her new uncle, but she hadn't really seen Owen sober yet. Not that he was all that much different.

"So, I can go into anything I want and none of you," she shot a look at Travis, "will question it."

They all nodded in agreement.

Danni thought on that for a few moments and shrugged. "Well, then for the moment I'm undecided, but it will probably be in the arts."

It still made Danni's heart skip a beat to see her parents' pleased smiles. It was nerve wracking for her to admit such things out loud, even to herself.

"Aw… Did you all just have a moment?" Owen cooed earning another dirty look.

This time Danni spoke up. "Shut up and drink your wine."

It was getting late and Will decided to put Rue to bed so Alicia and Owen could continue their slightly drunk conversation. With Rue in bed, Alicia wasn't afraid to drink a little more freely with her brother. It was like a tradition with them. If she didn't have to work the next day (and even sometimes when she did) they would usually get one really good drunk night out.

Travis and Danni had taken one of the chairs, Travis actually in the seat and Danni on the arm, leaning against him. Owen was a glass away from being under the table and Alicia was a glass away from dancing on the table. She was already slaying across the couch with her legs over Will's lap, laughing harder than she ever did sober.

"She'll have a headache in the morning," Travis whispered with a smirk. Well put together people made the most interesting drunks.

"You'd be amazed by her alcohol tolerance," Danni replied laughing as Alicia surprised Will with an affectionate kiss on the cheek before resting her head on his shoulder.

He looked at his phone to check the time. "I better get going, I have to work in the morning."

Danni nodded sadly and stood with him to walk him to the door. The rest of the group wouldn't miss her for a few minutes while she said goodbye to her boyfriend. They both stepped out into the hallway and she put her arms around his neck and kissed him slowly and deeply. There were no neighbors in the hallway so Danni didn't mind the fact the kiss was a little more intimate than their usual goodnights.

"I'm not going to forget that you said it," Travis told her as their lips separated from each other and Danni felt herself chase them to continue their kiss.

"What did I say?" Danni asked furrowing her brow in confusion.

Travis just laughed and kissed her lips slowly again, making her smile. "Oh, now I remember," she whispered, her big brown eyes slowly moving up to meet his. "I love you too."

They shared a long look with their arms around each other until the door suddenly swung open and they jumped apart. Owen stood in the door eyeing them both. "You guys are disgustingly cute."

With that he turned around and closed the door again, leaving them along in the hallway.

The Good Wife

Alicia was in court, Jackie was in some stupid meeting, Peter was doing some sort of campaign thing, Zach had to stay after school for a math class and Danni was working on something with Kalinda for something Will needed.

So they were all busy and Grace was stuck sitting on a bench outside of school in the pouring down rain. Her tennis shoes were already squishy and her teeth were chattering. She turned her phone over and checked it for the fourth time in two minutes. Her mom had yet to reply to her text and she couldn't make it to the train in this rain, she didn't have an umbrella.

It was almost four and she had been sitting there since three-fifteen. The wind was blowing rain under the awning and still drenching her.

It wasn't quite a thunderstorm, but it was a good first spring shower.

"Grace?"

Her head shot up at the sound of her name. It was heard to hear over the sound of her chattering teeth and the pounding rain, but she was almost sure she heard it.

Her eyes scanned her surroundings and she saw Will running toward her with an umbrella over his head. He looked worried and she blushed when she realized he was worried about her. She looked like she had been drown. Her hair dripping, her uniform damp and without a jacket even.

"You okay?" he asked her, offering her the umbrella so he could check her over.

She nodded. "Just cold," she replied through her chattering teeth.

Will gave her a small smile as he took back the umbrella, pulling her close to him to keep them both as dry as possible. She surprised him by burying herself in his side and wrapping her arms around on her his. Grace never got that close to him.

"I got here as soon as I could, but I didn't get your mom's text until I was out of court," Will apologized, honestly feeling bad for not getting there sooner.

"It's okay," Grace replied. "How far is the car?"

"A couple blocks," he replied, once again apologetic. Grace shivered and nodded. He frowned and pulled his suit jacket off his shoulders and put it over her. She pulled it tight around her and he held her against his side.

They walked the entire two blocks like that. Even when Grace stopped shivering she didn't move out from under his arm. When they finally arrived at his car, he opened the door for her to let her in before circling around to the other side of the car.

"You probably want to get home and get a change of close don't you?" he asked with a smile, turning on her seat warmer and the heat. "How did you get that wet anyway?"

She shrugged a little. "I was going to walk to the bus stop but it started pouring hallway there."

"So you ran all the way back to school instead of going into a store or something?" Will asked.

She just shrugged again, obviously not really wanting to talk about it for some reason. "Thank you for picking me up," she added quietly.

He looked at her for a moment as they stopped at a stop light. "You okay, kiddo?"

Grace felt her cheek burn at the term of endearment she had only ever heard him use with Rue and Danni. Truthfully she had a long day and it wasn't a pleasant one either. All she needed was to get stuck in the rain on top of it all. Her only answer was a shrug and Will frowned.

"Wanna talk about it?" he offered in the same manner he would ask Danni. He wanted a real relationship with Grace. They had spent several months together and her felt like getting close to Grace was harder than it was to get close to Zach. With Zach he could spend a Saturday morning playing basketball and just talking about guy stuff. He may have been the difficult on in the beginning, but in the end Zach saw that things weren't going to change and he accepted it. Grace was just distant. She would have regular conversations with Will, but only on her terms. She never got too close.

"Well… Want a smoothie?" Will offered with a smile.

Twenty minutes later Grace was sitting at the bar while Will started chopping fruit. "Two strawberry and banana smoothies coming right up," Will told her offering her a big smile.

"Mom loves smoothies," Grace told him. "How come you never make them when she's home?"

"Because usually Danni's home and she will drink us out of bananas and strawberries. And milk," Will told her seriously. "Smoothies are a popular meal in our home when it was just the two of us. I have a limited menu of cooking options and Danni doesn't have time to cook all the time."

"Danni always liked fruit," Grace agreed with a smirk. "She used to eat all fruit before Mom could make the fruit salad for Thanksgiving. Still makes Mom mad."

"I blame your mother," Will told her. "When she was pregnant she ate so much fruit! She said anything else made her sick but she would call me in the middle of the night asking if I could pick up grapes for her or bananas. It would be two in the morning with an exam in the morning and I would come over and sit up with her because _my_ daughter was keeping her awake."

He laughed softly as he poured the contents into the blender. Grace felt something twist in her stomach at his words. There were plenty of stories she would hear about when her mother was pregnant with her or Zach, but to hear another man talk about her mother and their baby in a way that made it obvious how much he loved them. It was obvious now. Alicia and Will would exchange quick kisses in the morning and spend the nights sitting in the living room talking all night sometimes. They shared a bedroom after all.

But to know that Will loved her mother since before this, before Danni was even born, it was almost heart breaking. She loved her dad, but she saw what happened to her mom when he slept with the hooker. Part of her broke even though she tried so hard not to show it.

"Will?" Grace asked making him turn around and look back at her. "Why did you marry my mom back then?"

No one had ever asked him that question. Back then he was prepared for the question, assuming his sisters or mother would ask the same question, but to be asked almost eighteen years later by Alicia's daughter, a child that wasn't his, caught him severely off guard.

"Well, if you want the honest answer, I think I was scared," Will told Grace with a crooked, almost sad smile. "We both liked what we had but she was much too valuable in my life to risk losing her because she didn't feel the same way I did."

"You mean she didn't love you back then?" Grace nearly gasped as though the idea was completely unfathomable.

Will smirked. "Well, she did end up marrying your dad," he reminded her.

"Oh. Right," Grace muttered surprised by her own involvement in this story.

"But I think everything happens for a reason. If your mom and I would have gotten married we wouldn't have you and Zach."

Once again, Grace was surprised. It should have sounded like a line, but it didn't. Will really did like Zach and Grace even though they weren't his kids. He loved Alicia, every part of her and that meant he loved Zach and Grace too.

"So you wanna tell me what happened at school?" Will asked as he laid a smoothie in front of Grace.

She smiled. "Nothing that can't be fixed with a smoothie," she assured him.

_**Please review! **_


	19. Chapter 19

Will and Alicia slunk into the apartment just past midnight with Rue sleeping in Will's arms and it was not because of a date night. Work had been challenging in a way that Alicia and Will loved and hated all at the same time. If they didn't have children or other responsibilities it would have been fun. Instead, they spent the entire night in Will's office with Diane and some others working through a case.

"I'll put her to bed, you go lay down," Will told Alicia. He was worried about her. She may have been acting fine, but she looked pale to him. They had spent almost every moment of the day together for months now. His body could nearly sense her being off.

"I can do it," Alicia told him offering to take Rue from him, but he shook his head.

"Leesh, go lay down. Please." There was a tone in Will's voice that Alicia couldn't quite grasp. He wasn't cross with her, but maybe more along the line of worried. Still, she didn't have the energy to argue with him.

He leaned forward and kissed her lips, then looked in her eyes. "I'll be in a bit, babe," he promised her. All she could do was nod as she headed back toward the bedroom. She dropped her shoes in the closet and stripped out of her suit. The smell of fabric softener told her that Danni took the responsibility of washing the bed sheets since Alicia worked late. It was just what she needed. She pulled one of Will's shirts out of his drawer and tugged it over her head. She knew she should wash the makeup off her face, but that would take a trip to the bathroom she wasn't sure she had the energy for now that she had made it to the bathroom. In the end, the itch to wash her face won over her exhaustion.

When she returned from the bathroom, she found Will had already undressed and was in his night clothes. Her movements were sluggish as she crawled into bed and immediately moved into his side, searching for his warmth. She was shivering and clammy.

All night he could see she wasn't feeling well. Her eyes had dark circles under them and her face held a grayish tint to it. Now that they were in bed, her legs entwined with his, needing his body heat to get warm, he felt an urgent need to guard her. His arms held her a little tighter as she shivered and he pressed his lips to the top of her head hoping she'd feel better in the morning, but he knew she probably wouldn't.

The next morning, Will let her sleep in a little later while the rest of the family got ready for school, work, and daycare.

"You realize she's going to kill you for letting her oversleep," Zach informed Will as he tried to feet a very disgruntled Rue her breakfast. He had finally given up on oatmeal and just tried toast. At least the mess was easier to clean up.

"I'm letting her sleep in, she did not over sleep," Will correct the boy, but he knew that it was going to go one of two ways when Alicia woke up: she was going to yell or she was going to thank him. Either way, he knew she needed some extra rest.

"We will see if that's how Mom sees it," Zach mumbled as Danni came rushing in the room, snatching a bagel and giving her Dad a quick kiss on the cheek. She had hindered her father a similar warning about letting Alicia sleep, but she quickly changed her tune when he mentioned she didn't look well. Instead she offered to take Rue to daycare on her way to school.

"Let's go guys," Danni said to her siblings, snapping her fingers as she lifted Rue out of her seat and rested her on her hip. "We need to leave or I'll be late."

Zach quickly shoved another piece of toast in his mouth as Grace moved for the door. Will looked at her for a moment. "Grace did you have breakfast?" he asked her as he put the breakfast plates in the sink. Normally the older kids fended for themselves in the morning but he didn't recall seeing Grace grab anything.

"I'm not really hungry," she told him with a shrug, tossing a nervous glance at her siblings that were already out the door without her. "I really need-"

A couple nights ago she had only poked at her food claiming she just didn't have an appetite and he could think of what she ate yesterday morning for breakfast. He came around the counter to her, touching her forehead. "Do you feel alright? You haven't been eating well."

She looked startled by his comment, but even more startled by his interest. Then again, she knew she probably shouldn't have been. Will spent a lot of time watching them, trying very hard to earn their trust and respect. He was fairly quiet about it and the kids didn't mind. In a way it made them feel good knowing he was putting forth the effort, whether it be for them or their mom.

But what Grace sometimes didn't think of was that he was already a dad. He had Danni and his instinct to parent sometimes just happened with Zach and Grace. Now was an example.

"I'm just not that hungry," she assure him, offering him a flimsy smile.

Will didn't like that answer so he grabbed a granola bar off the counter that he had planned to throw in his briefcase before he headed to work. "Take this in case you decide you do get hungry, okay?"

Grace didn't really have time to argue. Zach, Danni, and Rue were probably already waiting for her at the elevator. "Okay. Thanks, Will," she said feeling the flimsy smile turn into a more genuine one. Will returned the affection with a quick kiss to the side of the head.

"Hurry, don't be late," he urged her following her out the door to make sure her siblings were still waiting, which they were. He offered them another wave before returning to the apartment and heading toward his bedroom.

Alicia was still curled on her side, her hair wild against the pillow and her mouth slightly open. It was the stillest anyone would ever see Alicia. Normally she was constantly moving when she was at home, or even when she was completely wrapped up in work, she would be multitasking and putting them all to shame.

Will softly sat down on the edge of the bed and started to push away her hair out of her face. She hummed beneath his touch and smiled softly. The coloring of her face was still off and her face was clammy.

"Good morning, beautiful," he whispered to her as her dark eyes started to open. There were little terms of endearment that they used only when they were completely alone. Alicia had never been a fan of them because they never sounded natural to her ears, but that's no longer true when Will said them. A rush washed over her at his words and she opened her eyes. Her dark orbs studied his with a happy sparkle before they fell on the alarm clock next to the bed. Her body shot up but she had to steady herself by grabbing ahold of Will's shoulders. The room started spinning and she closed her eyes. Part of her was ready to yell at Will for letting her oversleep, but the rest of her was afraid to open her mouth in fear she would throw up.

The nervous expression on his face kept her from looking at him. But the dizziness didn't go away as quickly as she wished. Instead she leaned against Will, her hands clinging and wrinkling fabric.

"You okay?" Will asked she seemed to regain some strength.

"Yeah, sorry. Got a little dizzy," Alicia told him, kicking her feet over the side of the bed and attempting to stand.

Almost instantly her face lost the little remaining color and her knees buckled. Will caught her just before she hit the floor. She blinked several times, clearly embarrassed as he laid her back in the bed. But this time he didn't let go of her. He sat back on the bed and held her. "Sorry," Alicia mumbled as Will helplessly checked her over.

He looked so skittish but her mind immediately went back to when she had morning sickness with Danni. Will was a nervous hoverer with her. With Danni he wasn't as bad but usually if Danni was really sick, she'd go to him. After all, she was a bit of a daddy's girl and for a very long time it had been just them in the house.

Alicia frowned at him. "I'm okay, really. I need to get ready for work."

"Ha, no. Not happening," Will told her. "I don't want a call from your assistant telling me my girlfriend passed out. You're staying home."

"I have court," Alicia argued. "I'm going."

Again she tried to get up, but he pulled her against him again. She smacked him in the arm, but he kissed her hair and hugged her to him. "I'll get you a continuance. You're sick."

"I'm fine!" she argued. "I just got up too fast."

They glared at each other for a long moment. "How about we compromise?" Will offered. Alicia didn't argue, but she continued to glare. "Stay home until you head to court. Get a couple more hours of sleep. I think we put enough hours in yesterday."

Alicia sighed, but Will wasn't going to take no for an answer. When he wanted something, he got it. "Fine," she huffed. "But at least let me get up and get something to eat."

The looks that they exchanged were at least nicer than before. He helped her to her feet but when she tried to move toward the kitchen, he stopped her. She gave him a puzzled look, but she could then see the affection in his eyes. It was a quiet apology. He wasn't trying to make her angry, but she was obviously no feeling well and she was going to push herself too hard.

The gentle sparkle always made her anger cool. The rest of the world didn't see the Will Gardner she saw. They didn't see this man who loved so fully. If someone was lucky enough to be called a friend, much less be considered family of Will Gardner he would go to the ends of the earth to protect them.

"The kids?" she asked reaching for his hand as she continued her way into the kitchen.

"Danni took them all to school and daycare. Rue was very understanding when I told her you needed to sleep," Will told her.

Sometimes Alicia thought Rue may have been in some grand plan. She and Will had pretty well raised Danni together until they graduated law school and she was nearly two by then, almost the age Rue was when she came to live with them. Truthfully, she tried not to think much into it and just be glad they had their odd family now.

They fell into a comfortable silence as she poured herself a cup of coffee. She took a sip and then smiled over the top of the mug at him. "Did you already have coffee or have you been waiting for me to have mine?"

He reached out and took her mug from her, taking a sip and smacking his lips. "I just can't make it like you can. It tastes better once your lips have been on it. Sweeter." His eyes danced with mischief as she laughed at his line.

It wasn't hard to tell she wasn't feeling that great. Her hands shook as she held the coffee and she either leaned against the counter or Will. Part of him hoped that she just decided that she couldn't make it to court either and stayed home all day. It would have made him felt better. He would probably have Kalinda check on her, which Alicia will hate but she'll get over it.

"You're going to be late," Alicia hummed, feeling him watch her.

"I'm the boss, I can be late," Will told her. "But I do have to get going. Blake and Kalinda may kill each other if they're left in the office without a ringleader for too long."

She accepted his kiss goodbye and couldn't help but feel a bit of disappointment when she was alone in the apartment. Really, Alicia was almost never alone. Most of her day was spent with clients or coworkers and then children. The only place she was even almost used to being alone was her car and that was normally short lived.

Then again, being alone in their apartment for a couple hours meant she didn't have to pretend like she felt better than she really did. She pulled the throw off the back of the couch and curled up in it as she laid across the couch. She hadn't felt this nauseous since she was pregnant with Grace. Alicia never got sick. In fact she prided herself on her excellent immune system.

She scent of Will's shirt made her feel a little better in her discomfort, but she would be damned if she didn't make it to court.

But Will must have prepared for her to miss court because she must have fallen asleep. One minute she was lying awake wishing her nausea away, the next she is being carried across the apartment toward her and Will's bedroom. The room was too bright for it to still be morning, but Alicia couldn't find it in herself to care.

Her body fell gently against the sheets and she smiled at the feeling of Will's lips brushing her forehead. "I missed you," she whispered sleepily holding onto his hand. "Lay with me?"

Will smiled as he laid down next to her. "I didn't think you'd make it to court." He pulled her onto his chest and rubbed her hair. "How are you feeling?"

The answer wasn't verbal, but instead she just let out a soft sigh on his chest. Though she had pretty well chased him away, his warmth made her feel better. "Why are you home so early?" she asked sleepily.

"I was thinking about you," he told her. "I thought I'd come by when things slowed down. Diane sends her regards."

Alicia weak laugh hummed against his chest. "Our codependency has gone a little too far."

Will continued rubbing her back as he nodded slowly. That was something he had been thinking about lately. "Yeah, I was thinking about that. I was thinking we should get married."

There was another little laugh on his chest from Alicia. "I have to be divorced first."

"Yeah, but you're almost divorced. Then we could get married," Will told her, as though he was just thinking aloud.

She shifted positions to look at him. Her expression was carefully guarded as she studied his face. "You're being serious."

Will nodded. "Yeah, I'm being serious."

She laid her head back down on his chest and hummed quietly. There was several long moments that felt like forever before she nodded against his chest. "I think that's a pretty good idea."


End file.
